DURBAN - THE groundwork that was covered by the late Zanele KaMagwaza Msibi ensured that the National Freedom Party (NFP) secured more votes than the IFP and the ANC in the eDumbe municipality.
While the IEC has yet to declare results, according to its results website, as at 5pm yesterday, the NFP secured 33.54% (6 seats) in the municipality followed by the ANC with 23.53% (5 seats) and the IFP with 23.26% (5 seats).
If the results stay this way, there would need to be a coalition government in the municipality.
Speaking on the NFP’s strong showing in the municipality yesterday, NFP secretary-general Canaan Mdletshe, attributed the positive results to the work done by Magwaza-Msibi.
“Many of the projects that are found in Zululand were piloted in eDumbe when she was a mayor and such deeds endeared her to the people of that municipality, and so it is that legacy from which our party did well,” said Mdletshe.
In addition to this, Mdletshe cited the activism from local party members who he said worked tirelessly throughout the campaign.
“In fact we are slightly disappointed because we had been hoping for a clean sweep in that municipality,” Mdletshe said.
He said the positive showing would be used as a base for the party to rebuild as it takes aim at the 2024 national elections.
Political analyst Thabani Khumalo described the NFP’s surprise results in eDumbe as a sympathy vote, saying they had used the late leader’s image as the face of the campaign.
“This was nothing but a sympathy vote from people who remembered KaMagwaza Msibi. These elections were supposed to be the final nail in the coffin for the NFP, given the problems that it has at leadership level, where there is ongoing tussle for positions,” said Khumalo.
He dismissed suggestions of the party’s revival, predicting more squabbles over council positions.
“The problem is that the NFP was built and centred on an individual, not a group of people. So with her death I am afraid the party will soon reach the end of the road because of its makeup. The national elections will mark the beginning of the end for the NFP,” Khumalo predicted.
Another political analyst, Daniel Silke, said the NFP’s performance demonstrated emotional attachment by the voters to its late leader.
“It is quite peculiar that a deceased person becomes the face of an election campaign for a political party. What this then shows is that voters recalled how she performed as a mayor, during the time when the NFP was doing relatively well,” Silke said.
He added that it also reflected dissatisfaction from people over how the ANC had performed during its term as a governing party in the municipality and how loyalties were swinging from one political end to the other.
THE MERCURY