EFF remains only hope for ANC as IFP shuns it

With the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) unlikely to enter into a coalition with the ANC follow- ing the bruising local government elections, which have seen ANC numbers reduced to far be- low 50%, the only option left for the governing party is an uneasy relationship with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) – its only saviour in governing some of the country’s major metros.

Among conditions for a coalition, the EFF has demanded being handed a municipality to govern, in exchange for helping any party to get into power – also appointing its own cadres EFF remains only hope for ANC as IFP shuns it in key positions.

The EFF has also demanded the amendment of the constitution within six months to allow for expropriation of land without compensation and the creation of a state bank within 12 months – which the ANC is unable to implement. Ruling out any partnership with the ANC, IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa yesterday said his party would find it hard to enter into a coalition government with the ANC – a party he said had leaders “facing so much in the courts of law, corruption and unethical behaviour”.

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Speaking from KwaZulu-Natal, where the party made an almost clean sweep in winning most councils from the ANC in the heavily-contested province, a jubilant Hlabisa, ruled out any coalition with the “corrupt ANC”. The IFP swept the ANC aside in four of the province’s 44 local municipalities – uPhongolo, uMolozi, uMlalazi and uMhlathuze.

It retained its strongholds in the Zululand district and the local councils it governed, including the big five of Hlabisa, Ulundi, Nkandla, Msinga and Nquthu. The IFP gained most seats in two hung municipalities of Mthonjaneni near Richards Bay and in Mtubatuba in the north of KwaZulu-Natal. Asked about the IFP strategy which led to the party humiliating the ANC in the polls in KZN, Hlabisa said: “This was neither an overnight work, a miracle nor manna falling to our surprise.

“He described long hard work by the party from 2011 onwards, putting together a “package”… three elections in one – 2019, 2021 and 2024. “We knew we were going to remove the DA as the official opposition in KwaZulu-Natal,” he said. “And we did it – targeting 2021. We have always been saying that we would be taking more municipalities from the ANC.”

Hlabisa added: “Definitely in 2024, we are taking over the province of KwaZulu-Natal.” On coalitions, Hlabisa said: “We are going to enter into a coalition guided by two principles: a party that promotes non-racialism and not getting involved with a party that is clouded by corruption – compromising our stance against corruption. “With regards to the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal, we are not going to get involved with them.”