ANC gets smacked in KZN: Unemployment, corruption, and IFP resurgence

The Zuma factor is the Achilles heel haunting the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal as Zulu-speaking voters ditch the ruling party in favour of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), from which Jacob Zuma stole many members during his reign, a KZN-based expert has said.

Also, the expert said, high unemployment among the youth and the embezzlement of funds meant for the victims of recent floods were adding to anti-ANC voter sentiment in the province.

He echoed the sentiments of KZN residents who spoke to Saturday Citizen to express frustration about ANC rule in the province.

The citizens alluded to the 2021 insurrection which, they said, was “unsurviveable” politically and complained about the mismanaged flood funds, school nutrition corruption and load shedding among other issues.

“I do not know about the rest of the country, but here, the sentiment is for change,” a resident, who preferred to be anonymous, said.

Analyst Zakhele Ndlovu said a combination of factors were behind the ANC’s electoral losses in the province, but the Zuma issue topped the list.

He said the fact that an IFP candidate had grabbed a safe ANC ward seat in uMhlathuze municipality in Wednesday’s by-election was proof of voter disgruntlement with the ANC in the province.

The IFP has won several other ANC wards since the 2021 local polls.

Ndlovu noted that the IFP had been on an upward trend since the 2016 local government elections, the period that the ANC lost dramatically in the big metros of Gauteng and Nelson Mandela Bay.

But the analyst said it remained to be seen whether the IFP would maintain the momentum now that founder Mangosuthu Buthelezi was no more.

He said a coalition was likely between the IFP and the Democratic Alliance and maybe with another party that would most likely defeat the ANC and take over KZN.

“After Zuma stepped down, most people in KZN lost interest in the ANC. They shifted back to the IFP because IFP members voted for the ANC when Zuma became president of the ANC.

“There is also the ethnicity issue – that Zulus tend to lose interest in the ANC when there is nobody from KZN in the top six or top 7 of ANC leadership,” Ndlovu said.

He said the removal of the ANC from its strongholds by the IFP and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) on Wednesday was a sign of the shift against the ruling party.

At uMhlathuze municipality, the IFP’s new councillor Sibusiso Ndunakazi surprised his ANC competition with a 53.38% (2 725 votes) victory to 46.01% (2 348 votes).

This was a shock to the ANC which won the ward by 63.32% in 2021. The ANC’s pain was repeated when it lost another seat to the EFF in ward 3 in Maquassi Hills municipality in the North West.

The EFF’s Lehlohonolo Metoa won by 46.89% of the total votes cast, beating the ANC on its turf. Ndlovu said the EFF was appealing to young people who had lost confidence in the ANC.

“Lots of young people see the ANC as having sold out because of high unemployment among the youth.”

But all is not lost for the ruling party as its performance appeared to fluctuate from province to province in by-elections.

In Wednesday’s by-elections, ANC candidate Mokgadi Molokomme grabbed ward 11 in the Blouberg municipality in Limpopo with 64.84%, a huge drop from 84.51% in 2021.

The ANC also kept ward 3 in Madibeng municipality in the North West with a massive 85.86% victory, up from 62.78% in 2021, which saw Keaobaka Sefike elected as councillor.

Luthuli House recently celebrated by-elections victories at two Dutywa wards in Amathole in the Eastern Cape.

It gave massive publicity for the wins in ward 1 and 2 in Dutywa, where the ANC dramatically increased its tally to 70% and 69%.

However, the trend of ANC electoral defeat began early this year when in April it was trashed by the EFF and IFP in ward polls in the Free State and KZN.

This made the EFF a new threat to the ANC in Free State and North West, with the IFP already usurping ANC power in KZN.