ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula is optimistic that the national working committee will come up with a plan to re-establish its political power in KwaZulu-Natal.
The uMkhonto weSizwe, under the leadership of Jacob Zuma, won the province with 44.91% of the total votes cast, reducing the ANC’s electoral support from the May elections to 17.22%.
Mbalula acknowledged the ANC’s significant setback in KwaZulu-Natal and the fact that the party has suffered greatly in its largest province.
Reviving the organisation
He stated that they were investigating the reasons behind the ANC’s defeat and the necessary steps to bolster the party’s membership in the province.
They should look into ways to rekindle the ANC’s support, he said, since they knew the MK Party was responsible for the party’s dramatic downfall.
Mbalula stated it was not guaranteed that the organisation would rise once again, saying that was dependent on the effort they would show to regain the trust of the lost ANC supporters.
Mbalula also mentioned the ANC’s continuous battle to reclaim power in the Western Cape, but he emphasised that this difficulty does not lessen their dedication to their objectives.
“We lost KZN back in 1994 under Nelson Mandela, and we came back. The only thing for us is to understand what went wrong for us to lose this majority,” Mbalula said.
“We know what happened in KZN. Jacob Zuma started a political party, challenged the ANC and won the majority, and the numbers that he got were [from historical ANC voters].”
Proper analysis and review
President Ramaphosa called the 2024 elections a setback for the ANC because of the sharp decline in KwaZulu-Natal.
Ramaphosa was speaking to the media on Sunday outside the Pietermaritzburg City Hall.
“We still have a live organisation here, and our objective is to talk to the leadership of the ANC both at the provincial level, at the regional level, and at the branch level,” said Ramaphosa.
“That is precisely what we are doing. It is a whole process of doing proper analysis and review so that the ANC can be renewed and strengthened.
“It is only when we have a renewed and strong ANC that we will be able to execute our tasks that are encoded in our manifesto.”
