ANC KZN partly to blame for electoral loss — provincial Sanco advocates for MKP-ANC coalition

The South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) in KwaZulu-Natal has apportioned the blame for the ANC's electoral loss in the region to the party's provincial leaders. 

The organisation made the announcement  after its first provincial executive committee meeting since the elections, when its alliance partner lost its majority to govern the province.

A member of the ANC tripartite alliance, Sanco has come out in support of a provincial government led by the MK Party with help from the ANC as a coalition partner.

The organisation believes ethically, the political party that received the highest number of votes in the province must lead government.

“In the province Sanco KZN believes ideally the ANC must use its numbers to support the MKP to lead the government, and the MKP must appoint a premier, as per the will of the people of KZN, and together form a coalition government,” said its secretary Sizwe Cele.

With 45.35% of the votes, the MKP received the most votes but the party failed to achieve a full mandate to lead the KZN government alone.

Sanco has suggested the ANC use its 16.99% of votes to support the MKP to lead the provincial government.

Reflecting on its role in the elections campaign that produced the biggest battering the ANC has experienced at the polls, Sanco decried the “lack of support” from the KZN ANC.

“Sanco KZN did not enjoy any ANC support since the ANC KZN kept all the campaign material for themselves and their chosen ones.”

The organisation also took issue with the ANC's national executive committee (NEC), saying it must, to an extent, share with provincial leadership the responsibility for the party's losses in KwaZulu-Natal. 

The organisation said the NEC ignored the voices of the people of KwaZulu-Natal about its provincial executive committee.

Speculation has been rife the NEC was moving closer towards disbanding the KZN leadership.

The ANC's attitude towards the Zulu royal house and the Nazareth Baptist Church, popularly known as the Shembe Church, are said to have attributed to the party's losses in the province.

In a leaked recording during the build-up to elections, ANC head of elections Mdumiseni Ntuli raised concern that its provincial structures had ignored its national deployees who were sent to aid the party's campaign in the province. 

The ANC had deployed party veterans S'bu Ndebele, Mike Mabuyakhulu, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Zweli Mkhize to assist the province with its election work. 

Calls for disbandment were first reported after a visit by its national working committee last year. Opting to intervene instead of dissolving the provincial leadership, the NWC at the time felt it was too close to the elections to make such a move.

Cele warned leaders from the ANC, MKP, IFP and EFF not to succumb to historical petty jealousies and egos during discussions about forming a government in the province. 

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