Durban - The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has set itself an ambitious target of capturing 70 percent of the provincial vote in next year’s election, and to “wash away” the opposition in the hope of controlling all 61 municipalities in the province by 2016.
Part of its plan to capture the province will see it wooing local chiefs and indunas in rural areas and Indian, white and coloured voters in urban areas, while consolidating its support base in the townships.
Sihle Zikalala, ANC provincial secretary, said this strategy would include roping in former president Thabo Mbeki to campaign for the party.
“Mbeki is a member of the ANC. He is going to campaign and vote for the ANC. The question is about co-ordination. The national leadership is co-ordinated at a national level.
“Mbeki has a task to campaign like all other members and all other people. Stalwarts of the ANC will always go out and campaign for the ANC,” he said.
Zikalala also put the National Freedom Party (NFP) - with which it co-governs 19 municipalities - on notice, saying the 2016 local government election would signal the end of their political arrangement.
“The relationship is meant to expire at the 2016 elections.
“We don’t dream of working with any party - 2016 is D-Day,” he said.
Zikalala, along with deputy provincial secretary Nomusa Dube, presented the ANC’s 2013 election plans in Durban on Wednesday.
Part of the plan was to capture the former stronghold areas of the IFP, such as Nongoma, Ulundi and Zululand, where the party had made significant inroads over the years.
“The ANC is convinced that 70 percent is achievable as a minimum target in the province. The principle of consolidating where we are strong and advancing to new political territory will guide us as part of our election strategic approach.
“In essence, in regions like eThekwini, Moses Mabhida, we want to maintain our supports and surpass the rest, while in areas like Abaqulusi, Ukhahlamba, we want to win convincingly, even in areas that are not under ANC control,” he said.
Zikalala said next year’s election should serve as a mirror for what the party planned to achieve in the 2016 local government election.
“We are contesting to win overwhelmingly. We don’t want to see a situation where we co-govern.”
He said the party would use Nongoma as its launch pad to win Zululand.
“We want to liberate people of Nongoma and Ulundi through (a) landslide victory during the 2014 election.
“The 2014 election will mark the beginning of taking over Zululand, which will be completed in the 2016 local government election,” he said.
On Sunday, the ANC will host an election rally at the Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu.
The party, which fought a bitter factional war with the IFP in the run-up to the 1994 elections, sat in the opposition benches for two terms before taking control of the province in 2004.
Since then it has steadily increased its majority in the KZN legislature.
In 2011 the ANC consolidated its influence in the province when it took control of 39 of the 61 municipalities outright. It formed coalition governments with the NFP – formed by disgruntled IFP supporters – to control 19 other municipalities, leaving the once-mighty IFP with just two municipalities under its control.
Political analyst Prince Mashele said the ANC’s ambition was possible.
“The ANC is the fastest-growing party in KwaZulu-Natal. Even in the 2009 national elections, the ANC lost support in all provinces except KZN. It is growing at the expense of the IFP.
“People in KZN are pleased that the party is led by a Zulu president. When comparing the IFP and the ANC, voters in KZN feel they get more from the ANC because it is led by someone from rural KZN who is also president of the country,” he said.
Mashele said the IFP and the NFP might be the biggest losers next year.
“Beyond Mangosuthu Buthelezi the IFP does not seem to have a future.
“As far the NFP is concerned (NFP president) Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi is the key of the party and beyond her it is hard to see how the party can sustain itself,” he said.
Nhlanhla Khubisa, secretary-general of the NFP said the ANC was welcome to its opinions, but his party was working hard on the ground.
“We will be pulling out all the stops to win the 2014 elections. We want legislators in every province, and with our volunteers on the ground we are confident of winning the upcoming election,” he said.
An IFP spokesman could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.
Daily News