MK grabs votes from the EFF

Although it looks increasingly likely the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party could become the country’s third-biggest political force after the general election, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) top brass insists it is too early to predict the outcome.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) leaderboard yesterday afternoon reflected more than nine million national votes counted.

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The MK party found good support, with former president Jacob Zuma’s outfit chewing into EFF votes in KwaZulu-Natal and substantially overtaking the ANC in the heavily contested province.

By 2.25pm, the IEC dashboard showed 9.4 million votes counted, with the ANC leading by 3.9 million, trailed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) at 2.1 million, followed by the MK party (1.1 million) and the EFF (899 000).

In KZN, MK led on 760 572 votes, with the ANC on 315 290 and the EFF on 37 449.

“If you look at individual anecdotes, polling stations and overall patterns – particularly in KwaZulu-Natal – it is clear the MK in a number of areas has attracted votes which previously went to the EFF,” leading election analyst Michael Atkins said.

“It is too soon to tell whether MK has taken votes from other parties. “In particular instances, EFF support is known in places where the MK party is strong.”

Referring to the DA, Atkins said in the rest of the country the party was “holding steady in areas where many people predicted its support would decline”.

While conceding the MK party had a strong presence in northern KZN, EFF treasurer-general Omphile Maotwe and head of the party’s presidency Vuyani Pambo told journalists at the IEC results operations centre in Midrand: “It is too early to come to a final conclusion.”

Maotwe said: “Votes that have come through are from voting districts in northern KZN, where MK is very strong – not eThekwini.

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“We need to be patient for the counting to be finished before giving a verdict.

“Let us wait until eThekwini votes come in, then you are going to see a big difference.”

The EFF, said Maotwe, has worked “towards the removal of the ANC from power and we think the party numbers are heading for a decline”.

Asked about a possible coalition government with the ANC should the ruling party fail to win an outright majority, Maotwe said: “If there will not be an outright majority, the EFF is open to talks.

“Our position remains that we are not here to exchange positions, but to change the status quo, the living conditions of our people.

“What will change the living conditions of our people are the EFF non-negotiables, which include expropriation of land without compensation, creating state capacity, ending load shedding, industrialising the country and creating employment.”

Challenging a prediction that the EFF was set for a routing in KZN, Pambo said: “It is unscientific to assume the MK party has chewed into EFF support because 70% to 80% of the votes have not yet been counted.

“It is premature to make a bold determination that the EFF is losing votes.”