DURBAN - The NFP hopes to snatch Nongoma Local Municipality from the IFP after Wednesday’s local government by-election.
NFP secretary-general Canaan Mdletshe said the party was working hard to ensure it retained ward 17 and took ward 20, which was won by the IFP in local government elections last year.
In ward 17, NFP candidate Dumisani Qwabe was killed on October 26, just five days before the elections. Nevertheless, he won the election.
The IFP’s Zamani Sibiya won ward 20 but died due to illness weeks after he was elected.
“We are already prepared to govern Nongoma. We met on Monday to finalise everything. In fact, we just need ward 20 as ward 17 is ours, and we are confident we will retain it in honour of comrade Qwabe and serve the people to fulfil his wishes. We have already agreed with one small party that will help us gain a majority,” said Mdletshe.
In the 45-seat council, the IFP received 21 seats, the NFP 13, ANC 8, and the EFF two, while the National People’s Front (NAPF) got one seat.
The NAPF was founded by former NFP member Bheki Gumbi in 2018. An NFP and ANC coalition equalled the IFP’s number of seats, but the EFF with its two seats helped the IFP to take power after the local government elections.
Mdletshe added that their hopes to take Nongoma were bolstered by EFF leader Julius Malema’s words last week, when he said his party would retaliate by pulling out of the coalition in the province after the IFP did not support it in Johannesburg for the Municipal Public Accounts Committee position that the EFF wanted.
Malema reportedly said he would punish the IFP by pulling out from the coalition in Nongoma and Zululand because it was the IFP’s stronghold.
If the NFP succeeds in taking power in Nongoma or the EFF withdraws its support, this could also affect the IFP in the Zululand District Municipality.
The IFP is governing Zululand with the assistance of the EFF’s single vote, the party chose to give its vote to the IFP following which the EFF’s sole councillor, Thulani Ndlovu, became deputy mayor.
IFP spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa said the party was ready to contest all wards.
In eThekwini’s ward 101, the IFP has fielded Qambushilo Mkhize as a candidate, while the ANC brought back its former councillor, Mzi Ngiba.
ANC regional task team co-ordinator Bheki Ntuli said his party would retain the ward in honour of Siyabonga Mkhize, a candidate who was gunned down a few days before election day.
In ward 6 in Okhahlamba, ANC leader Bheki Khanyile said his party was hoping to do well.
Provincial IEC spokesperson Thabani Ngwira said they were ready to hold the by-elections on Wednesday, adding that the security cluster and the IEC had held several meetings to assess if there was any threat of violence in these wards. He said they were expecting a peaceful by-election.
Other by-elections in the province would be in Okhahlamba (Bergville) in ward 6, and ward 101 in eThekwini.
Daily News