Big guns roll in for Nquthu poll
Zuma, Buthelezi, Malema campaign in KZN rural town
Faced with the trickiest byelection yet, President Jacob Zuma delivered a strong message to Nquthu voters yesterday.
“Vote right, vote ANC. Even the ancestors and angels will love you,” he said, as the final push for control of the northern KwaZulu-Natal town shifted into higher gear ahead of Wednesday’s polls.
He was, however, not the only one on a charm offensive to woo the 81 000 voters as the IFP also hauled in its battlehardened leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi who blamed Zuma for everything from junk status, a cabinet reshuffle to a stubborn president who won’t even listen to his own party’s veterans.
EFF leader Julius Malema and DA Western Cape MPL Masizole Mqasela also campaigned in Nquthu yesterday.
Zuma was, however, the biggest draw card at the Siyanqoba rally yesterday.
Zuma, whose campaigning followed that of ANC top leaders and several national executive committee members including Bheki Cele and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, said the party had a vision for the embattled rural municipality.
“We are ready to deliver services to this municipality. The ANC is determined and ready to govern Nquthu,” said Zuma whose speech was delivered largely in Zulu.
Nquthu is the only council in the country yet to elect a mayor, deputy mayor and speaker following last year’s local government elections. Six council meetings to constitute the 33seat council either ended in a fight or deadlocked.
The department of cooperative governance eventually dissolved the municipality to allow for fresh elections.
The EFF, DA and the NFP are expected to play kingmaker roles as the council is likely to be governed by a coalition. An ANC/NFP coalition had snatched Nquthu from the IFP in 2011. Fourteen political parties are fielding 325 councillors contesting 17 wards and 33 seats. Nquthu is one of four municipalities under uMzinyathi district municipality.