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‘Ramaphosa fighting own battles of survival’, says analyst amid ANC’s visit to KZN
Another analyst believes the ANC leader will pay special attention to KZN ahead of the elections.
ANC flags at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg on 7 December 2022. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen
The ANC’s visit to KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) indicates that the governing party is gearing up for next year’s much anticipated general elections.
This is according to a political analyst,.
The ANC leadership delegation, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, are currently in KZN this weekend to meet with the party’s provincial executive committee (PEC).
The national working committee (NWC) has already visited all regions within the province.
Election campaign
Speaking to The Citizen on Sunday, professor Andre Duvenhage said it was clear that both the governing party and Ramaphosa were in full mode preparation for 2024 elections.
“KZN at the moment is a problematic province for the ANC and early indications are supported by the by-elections where the Inkatha Freedom Party [IFP] is gaining support and its alliance to the kingdom of KZN is becoming stronger.
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“We know about the challenges of eThekwini and the potential for instability including the Jacob Zuma phenomenon and I think Ramaphosa is paving the way towards a strong election campaign, working at grassroot level, working in rural areas and I think the president’s strategic priority is winning the 2024 elections,” he said.
Duvenhage said he believed that Ramaphosa was also fighting his own personal battles of survival within the ANC and within the bigger Presidency.
Another political analyst, Piet Croucamp, said that he was of the view that Ramaphosa would pay special attention to KZN ahead of the elections.
“You will remember at the 55th leadership congress of the ANC, the faction that won the provincial leadership contest was opposing the presidency of Ramaphosa, and I suspect the regular visits to that province is to get them to compromise on whatever the differences are that they might have with the president.
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“Unless they stabilise the relationship between Union Buildings and KZN, it might be more difficult for the ANC to have a coherent strategy to ensure that they maintain control of KZN, either through a coalition or as an outright majority,” Croucamp said.
Croucamp highlighted that while it was true that the ANC under severe pressure in KZN, it was very likely that opposition parties may through a coalition agreements take control of the provincial legislature.
School nutrition programme
Meanwhile, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said the party expects its government deployees to deal with issues of plaguing the country in light of the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) saga.
Mbalula has been part of the ANC leadership delegation visiting KZN.
“Our message to our structures is very clear, it is renewal time and where there are challenges, like the school nutrition problem, we expect action and consequence management. Leaders need to be loyal to the vision and mission of the ANC, no underperformance will be tolerated, you under perform you are out, we deployed a better cadre to service the nation,” Mbalula told ANC KZN delegates.
The school nutrition programme was recently thrust into the spotlight following challenges experienced earlier last month.
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It was reported that food delivery issues caused several pupils in some areas of KZN to begin the second term of the school year with empty stomachs, as the NSNP was unable to provide meals to schools.
The Department of Education said they were facing a number of challenges over the years, including delays in the disbursement of funds, poor quality of food, and lack of proper monitoring and evaluation.
These challenges have often resulted in the disruption of the programme, leaving many learners without access to a daily meal.
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