IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa waving his hands to greet thousands of the party supporters at the party manifesto launch at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban in March. l WILLEM PHUNGULA
Durban — In an effort to dismantle ANC dominance in southern areas of KwaZulu-Natal, the IFP will this weekend return to the Harry Gwala region to canvass votes as the election day draws closer.
Buoyed by the warm welcome of its provincial chairperson, Thami Ntuli, recently in Umzimkhulu, the party will return to town on Saturday to hold two rallies which will be addressed by its president Velenkosini Hlabisa.
Speaking to the Daily News recently, Ntuli said his party was being well received in the areas in the south of the province. Although there had been attempts to sabotage his rallies in Kokstad and Umzimkhulu recently, people came in numbers to listen to his addresses.
“So far our campaign is doing very well. Wherever we go people are happy to see us. We were well received by the people of Kokstad and Umzimkhulu, so we are hoping to dismantle the ANC dominance in the southern areas of KwaZulu-Natal,” said Ntuli.
ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo laughed it off saying if Hlabisa believes he can shake the ANC in the Harry Gwala region, especially in Umzimkhulu, the only logical conclusion that may lead to that was that he was not in a good state of mind.
With a clean sweep in the municipalities across Tugela River in the 2021 local government elections, including Umhlathuze which has been ANC stronghold and also taking Newcastle and Alfred Duma which have been traditionally ANC strongholds, IFP has shifted its focus to the south of the province.
The ANC has been dominating Lower South Coast and Harry Gwala regions, controlling all municipalities, including both Ugu and Harry Gwala district municipalities since 2006 local government elections.
Harry Gwala is made of Umzimkhulu, Kokstad, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Ubuhlebezwe local municipalities and all under the ANC rule. The party also controls Ugu, as well as Umzumbe, Umdoni (Scottburgh), Ray Nkonyeni (Port Shepstone), Umziwabantu (Harding) local municipalities.
In 2000 the IFP governed Ugu, but lost it in 2006 to the ANC and has failed to win it back. Harry Gwala, which was previously known as Sisonke, has been under the ANC since 2000 but IFP controlled Ubuhlebezwe (Ixopo) and Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma (Bulwer) local municipalities, but lost both municipalities after 2006 local government elections.
With the IFP having consolidated its support across Tugela River and on the north-west areas of Newcastle and Ladysmith, Ugu and Harry Gwala are expected to help the ANC as it faces an uphill battle to retain power to govern the province. Polls are showing that the province is heading for a coalition government.
IFP, DA and ActionSA, through their membership of Multi-Party Charter agreement, are expected to co-govern the province should they manage to get 50+1% in the upcoming elections
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