ANC expected to ramp up its campaigning ahead of 2024 elections

The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal is oiling its elections campaign machinery amid speculations that it could fall below 50% in next year’s crucial general elections.

Following its KZN provincial lekgotla attended by the party’s big wigs, including Police minister Bheki Cele, Water and Sanitation minister Senzo Mchunu and former health minister Zweli Mkhize, the organisation’s provincial chairperson, Siboniso Duma, said party members will in future conduct themselves as members of “a governing party” instead of merely a political party.

Going forward, Duma said, ANC members in KZN would be “more visible”.

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Eradicating potholes on ANC’s agenda

As part of the ANC’s Yellow Friday programme, Duma said party members will take part in a number of community initiatives — including the ones meant to eradicate potholes.

The ANC would also be using the media to highlight KZN top achievers in various fields, including sports and music.

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There are people in KZN — which is being governed by the ANC — who are performing extremely well in various sectors.
As the ANC in KZN, we will no longer be media-shy, we will celebrate their achievements.

Duma cited KZN musicians: Zakes Bantwini and Nomcebo Zikode, both of whom recently won a Grammy award.

As KZN we also have five soccer teams competing in the PSL — something which is a great achievement for our province.

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Division within the ANC

The ANC in KZN has in recent years been losing support, largely because of divisions within the party.

During the build-up to the recent ANC national elective conference, the party in the province was left divided after some party branches threw their weight behind former health minister, Zweli Mkhize while others backed President Cyril Ramaphosa, who went on to win the ANC presidential race.

Duma said the ANC in KZN would not tolerate anything which was likely to cause divisions within the party in the province.

The time for petty squabbles has passed.

Other ANC bigwigs who attended the two-day provincial lekgotla, which closed on Monday, included the party’s former KZN provincial chairperson, Sihle Zikalala, who along with the party’s former KZN secretary, Mdumiseni Ntuli was elected to the party’s influential national executive committee (NEC) during the ANC’s December national elective conference.

Ntuli has since been appointed to the position of ANC head of elections.

Duma said the ANC in KZN was proud of Ntuli’s achievements.

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The lekgotla also saw ANC KZN leaders briefed by national cabinet ministers around challenges ranging from power outages to crime.

Recent crime incidents in KZN include the assassination of award-winning rapper, Kiernan “AKA” Forbes, who died in Durban after a gunman opened fire on him.

Duma said it was important for the issue of crime to be discussed at the lekgotla.

Crime has taken over people’s lives. Our province has become the killing field in a very barbaric manner.