Durban - The ANC in eThekwini region says it is unfazed by negative remarks made by EFF secretary-general Marshall Dlamini regarding possible coalition talks between the parties.
The ANC is said to be looking for coalition partners after it removed Abantu Batho Congress president Philani Mavundla from his position as deputy mayor and chairperson of the Human Settlements and Infrastructure Committee last week.
Mavundla, along with other parties, had been part of a coalition with the ANC to run the eThekwini Municipality.
On Wednesday after visiting flood victims at a Ntuzuma community hall, Dlamini decried their living conditions and accused the ANC leadership in eThekwini of not doing enough to assist them.
Dlamini further warned of disruptions of council sittings in eThekwini in future, until the municipality sorts out the issue of flood victims.
When asked whether the EFF would consider co-governing eThekwini Municipality with the ANC, Dlamini dismissed any talk of such a possibility.
“The issue of Mavundla is a matter of yesterday, whereas the matter regarding the flood victims dates back to months and we know that money has been made available to deal with their plight, but nothing is being done.”
Dlamini said it did not make sense to have discussions with a party leadership that didn’t prioritise vulnerable people, even warning of land invasions within eThekwini in order to assist flood victims.
A senior ANC member in eThekwini region, speaking on condition of anonymity, said discussions were continuing with other parties in order to facilitate co-governance following the removal of Mavundla.
“Definitely engagements do continue, but I can tell you now that they do not involve the DA and ActionSA, because we have ideological differences that cannot be addressed,” said the ANC member.
The ANC member downplayed Dlamini’s remarks, saying they wouldn’t affect the discussions. “The fact of the matter, though, is that the EFF could be on a power trip and are using the issue of flood victims for their own ends,” the member added.
ANC regional spokesperson Mlondi Mkhize said they weren’t losing sleep over the statement made by Dlamini this week, insisting that discussions were continuing.
“We are speaking to particular political parties and they certainly don’t include the DA. As for what the EFF said, it is not something that is worrying us as our focus is ensuring that we conclude the discussions with the relevant parties.”
Mkhize added that they wouldn’t allow themselves to be forced into a corner by small parties in a bid to forge co-governance arrangements.
University of KwaZulu-Natal political analyst Siyabonga Ntombela described the EFF as a party that constantly sells itself as a champion of social justice, saying this strategy had worked well for them in the past.
He added that owing to its numbers at the council, the party was better placed to negotiate with the ANC over eThekwini governance.
“So they know, and so does the ANC, that it makes sense to speak with one party that has serious numbers in order to avoid a co-governance arrangement involving many small parties, and that is the EFF’s advantage here,” said the analyst.
He pointed out that the issue of flood victims would put the EFF in a strong campaigning position in future, and the party was likely to use that when negotiating with the ANC in order to continue selling the image of fighting the cause of poor and vulnerable people.