SUNDAY MORNING ASSESSMENT

It sought to remind these constituencies of its time in government before and after 1994. It capitalised on the fact that, in the eyes of these voters, its leader, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, and other senior IFP officials were never embroiled in any corruption scandals.

It then came up with a simple yet effective slogan: “Sethembe — Trust Us”.

After the election results came out, IFP chairman Blessed Gwala said: “This electoral victory is a clear indication that the IFP brand is one that is trusted by the citizens of KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa. This victory sends a clear message for the general elections in 2019.”

IFP provincial secretary Velenkosini Hlabisa went as far as to claim that the Nquthu victory meant the IFP would regain control of KwaZulu-Natal in 2019 — a tall order considering that the ANC remains strong in the province’s urban areas.

For the ANC, the poll outcome in Nquthu was disastrous.

The party had thrown all it had into the campaign, sending its top six officials — bar deputy secretarygeneral Jessie Duarte, presumably because she doesn’t speak Zulu — to campaign.

Although deeply divided over who should succeed President Jacob Zuma between Cyril Ramaphosa and Nkosazana DlaminiZuma, the party closed ranks over Nquthu and presented a united front.

Ramaphosa and Dlamini-Zuma supporters campaigned side by side for an ANC victory.

For the ANC leadership in KwaZulu-Natal, winning Nquthu would have meant gaining control of the greater Umzinyathi district. This, in turn, would have meant overseeing the potentially lucrative, fast-growing tourism industry in the area.

The defeat is a blow for KwaZuluNatal ANC chairman Sihle Zikalala and his provincial executive committee. They came to power at a conference whose legitimacy was questioned by a section of the party’s membership.

Their failure to continue growing the ANC in former IFP strongholds — something that happened during every election under predecessors Senzo Mchunu, Zweli Mkhize and S’bu Ndebele — will likely fuel calls for change. ‘DEATH BY VOTES’: IFP supporters went around Nquthu carrying a mock ANC coffin, signalling the party’s defeat in this week’s by-election