IFP commits to forming GNU with ANC, DA at national level

IFP commits to forming GNU with ANC, DA at national level

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) President Velenkosini Hlabisa says the party will commit to forming a Government of National Unity at national level, with the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA).

Hlabisa made the announcement in Durban on Wednesday afternoon.

In last month’s general elections, the MK Party garnered the majority of support in KwaZulu-Natal with 45.35%.

The IFP trailed behind with 18.07% and the ANC followed with 16.99%.

Hlabisa says the party is yet to make a decision who it will work with in KwaZulu-Natal.

“At a national level, the IFP has decided in forming part of a GNU. Provincially, we are working towards forming a government in KwaZulu-Natal having met with the ANC, DA and NFP. In this province, this continues to be a work in progress while we understand the deadlines of Friday.”

Meanwhile, Hlabisa says talks with the MP party in KwaZulu-Natal remains ongoing, despite an earlier scheduled meeting that he says the MK party did not honour.

“The leadership of the MK failed to honour a pre-arranged meeting our delegation waited for some time however, when they failed to arrive the meeting was cancelled. there has been renewed attempts today by the MK party to reach out to the IFP.”

IFP briefs media on coalition talks: 

Supporters voted for Zuma believing he still represents ANC: Mtolo

Supporters voted for Zuma believing he still represents ANC: Mtolo

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The African National Congress (ANC) secretary in KwaZulu-Natal, Bheki Mtolo, says many ANC supporters voted for its former President Jacob Zuma, believing he still represents the ANC.

Mtolo has been commenting on the ANC’s declining support in the general elections.

Zuma led the MK party’s election campaign. However, he also maintains that he remains a member of the ANC.

Mtolo says the ANC underestimated Zuma’s impact on these elections.

“We thought once we explained he was gone to the ANC, people would understand that he’s not part of us. I got there in eThekwini, and in various VDs, people were wearing ANC regalia, but when they entered the ballot box, they said we wanted Zuma. You think they don’t know he’s out of the ANC because he has been misleading them by saying that I’m still with the ANC and that I’ll die with the ANC. Then those people thought they voted for the ANC. We have not yet explained thoroughly to them that he’s no longer with us; he’s outside of ourselves.”

2024 Elections | Analysis of election results objections:

Meanwhile, the uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) Party says it wants a commission inquiry established that will probe alleged discrepancies that transpired in the capturing of election results.

The party alleges that elections have been rigged.

MK Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela was speaking to the media at the National Results Centre in Midrand on Saturday evening

“We want to get to the bottom of exactly what transpired and we are going to push for that. It stops with the MK. It stops with President Zuma,” he said in an impromptu press briefing that was attended by some members of the party’s leadership, including former President Jacob Zuma.

2024 Elections | Zuma addresses media, calls for a commission of inquiry into ‘election rigging’:

MK Party wins most votes in KZN

MK Party wins most votes in KZN

Reading Time: < 1 minute

The uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) Party has won the most votes in KwaZulu-Natal with 45.3% ahead of the IFP on 18% and the ANC on 17%  of the vote. The IEC has concluded the capturing and auditing of its results in the province.

Former President Jacob Zuma’s MK Party’s win comes after an early lead that it maintained to the end.

However, the MK party has rejected the outcomes of the general elections, requesting that the IEC embark on a manual recount.

2024 Elections | MK Party wants recount of results:

ANC KZN admits underestimating impact of MK Party

ANC KZN admits underestimating impact of MK Party

Reading Time: < 1 minute

The African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal has admitted that it underestimated the impact of its former President Jacob Zuma and the MK Party. With over 99% of the voting districts declared in KwaZulu-Natal, the uMkhonto Wesizwe Party looks set to secure 45% support in the province ahead of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) on 18% and the ANC on 17%.

The ANC’s provincial secretary, Bheki Mtolo cited service delivery challenges as another reason for the party’s decline in support.

Mtolo says they accept the will of the people.

“What has affected us is some service delivery issues. But another thing which I think we must accept is that during our analysis we never got time to analyse the impact the former president will have on the ANC, because that’s where the impact has happened. But I think that fault has made us not to let our voters know that he is not new, that fault has made us to lose a lot of votes to the MK Party.”

2024 Elections | ‘If Zuma’s MK impact is in KZN, it reflects Zulu tribalism’: Gwede Mantashe

‘ANC unlikely to emerge with two-thirds majority’

‘ANC unlikely to emerge with two-thirds majority’

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Political analyst Professor Bheki Mngomezulu says the current ruling party – the African National Congress (ANC) – is unlikely to emerge with a two thirds majority.

Mngomezulu is reacting to the results of this week’s general elections.

In KwaZulu-Natal, the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK) emerged as the front runner on the first day of results in KwaZulu-Natal, ahead of the ruling ANC and the official opposition in the province, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP).

“Looking at the elections in 2016, 2019, 2021, leads me to the conclusion that the ANC is going down, it has retained the province but with a reduced majority. So, with the emergence of the MK party and of course with the multi party charter led by the DA and with the upward trajectory of the IFP, I don’t see the ANC getting the 0 plus 1 threshold,” elaborates Mngomezulu.

This comes on the second day of counting in this seventh general elections, the MK Party remains firmly in the lead with 44.48% in KwaZulu-Natal.

This is with just over 37% of the count in, in the province.

They are followed by the ANC with 18.70% and the IFP with 17.8%.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) trails behind the IFP at 13.5%.

The MK Party- led by former President Jacob Zuma – has already led celebrations in the Ladysmith area in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.

Preliminary results are expected on Sunday.