ANC faces battle in KZN

The election in KwaZulu-Natal is set to be a three-horse race between the ANC, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party – and the ANC is likely to lose massive support to either of the two parties.

Zuma will get support because he is playing a Trump game, portraying himself as a victim of political conspiracy hatched by his fellow ANC comrades, an expert said.

It is inevitable that the ANC will shed support to MK and IFP because the province’s ordinary people have become hostile to the party and many are finding a new political home in MK, University of KwaZulu-Natal political scientist Zakhele Ndlovu said.

Zuma had become South Africa’s version of former US president Donald Trump by continuing to play the victim. And he thrived on political conspiracy, he said.

“Ordinary people are joining him because they see him as being unfairly treated by the country’s criminal justice system like has happened to Trump.”

Ndlovu said Zuma would also get sympathy votes from those who appreciated his rural background. They loved him because he liked Zulu culture, which they identified with.

The province was set to become a political turf war, particularly between the ANC and MK, which is fighting for dominance at the ANC’s expense.

To counter MK’s moves, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula was this week busy with campaign blitzes in KZN.

But Ndlovu was adamant it was inevitable that the ANC would lose support to MK and IFP.

At the same time, the IFP would, in turn, lose to MK because of Zuma, who had become a magnet to both the poor and traditionalists from the ANC and IFP.

Ndlovu said: “Although he is targeting the ANC, Zuma will still attract votes from the IFP as he did during his presidency.”

He said the ruling party was facing an uphill battle against MK and IFP in the run-up to the 2024 general election.

He added there was a general outcry and widespread anti-ANC sentiments in the province over lack of service delivery by the ANC.