The ANC says there is evidence that its support in eThwkwini is growing.
The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) says it is regaining strength and is confident it will win the City of eThekwini with an outright majority in the upcoming local government elections.
The party held a campaign rally over the weekend, which was attended by party president Cyril Ramaphosa and other members of the National Executive Committee (NEC).
The party’s deputy convenor in the province, Siboniso Duma, told supporters at the event that the ANC is strong enough to contest most municipalities, including the City of eThekwini.
The party suffered a major blow in the last general elections, obtaining only 17% of the vote; this led the party’s secretary-general and the National Working Committee (NWC) to disband the party’s provincial executive committee (PEC) and appoint a Provincial Task Team (PTT). The party is also in a coalition in the City of eThekwini.
“The campaign of the ANC comrade president is doing very well; we can give you an assurance: come the 4th of November, the ANC will win eThekwini municipality. This is not wishful thinking; we are talking about something we have seen when we do our campaigns.
“We are sure and satisfied, comrade president, because in each and every ward, each and every ward, each and every voting district there are volunteers, cells have been established, each and every ward there are programmes and activities, daily, weekly; that is why we are satisfied that we will win on the fourth of November.”
Challenges in eThekwini
Duma identified crime and poor water provision in some wards in eThekwini as being problematic for the party. But he said there is progress in ensuring that communities that are affected by water issues are prioritised.
“The third problem, comrade president and National Executive Committee (NEC) members, is the issue of crime in the northern part of the region: Inanda, Ntuzuma, KwaMashu; criminals are a problem there. Crime in those areas affects ANC volunteers and the ANC campaign. It’s not safe for our comrades to attend meetings late in the afternoon.
“Some of our supporters and voters have left their homes because of crime,” he said.
Duma appealed to Ramaphosa to deploy the army to those areas of eThekwini to help police fight criminals.
Defectors
Meanwhile, another member of the ANC PTT, Thanudoxolo Sabelo, said the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party is weakening in KZN because of the party’s internal issues.
He said those who left the ANC to support the MK party now want to return to the ANC.
“The ANC is welcoming members from different political parties every day; the stokvel party is crumbling everywhere; our comrades are realising that there is no other hope except the African National Congress (ANC).
“So, comrade president, some of our comrades who had left for other parties have come back home,” he said.
At the event, Sabelo welcomed a former MK party member into the ANC and another who crossed the floor from the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP).