ANC’s bigwigs on KZN charm offensive

The ANC is going to have a tough time convincing undecided voters in KwaZulu-Natal to give the party another chance. That’s if the interactions with undecided voters in the province are anything to go by.

The party seems to be aware of this, hence it deployed its big guns to its strongholds to consolidate its traditional base and stop opposition parties from making inroads. The IFP has experienced growth in the province — while the MK Party has expressed its intention to dethrone the ANC.

The ANC’s popular secretary-general Fikile Mbalula was sent to the biggest region of eThekwini, his deputy Nomvula Mokonyane campaigned in the Midlands, while national chair Gwede Mantashe was sent to woo voters in the northern parts this week. Party heavyweight Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has also spent some time canvassing for votes in the province.

Its message during its last big campaign push in KwaZulu-Natal this week has largely been that delayed promises are not broken promises. 

While Mbalula and Mantashe received a warm welcome in most areas they visited in the campaign, they did encounter hostile voters who demanded answers for the party’s failed promises.

Mbalula's encounter with Thulani Mnyandu in Verulam was not the choreographed interactions normally witnessed in the party's campaigns. “We are very happy that we can see you in person today because we’ve been complaining to [the local councillor] that we want electricity but you light up the streets instead — but we don’t have it inside the house,” the unhappy resident of Zwelitsha township told Mbalula.

Wearing his yellow Bafana Bafana T-shirt and holding a set of pliers, Mnyandu was doing yard maintenance. “Now it’s good that we can engage with you so that you can connect us directly from the street poles so that we have it in the house,” he continued. 

And for almost 10 minutes, Mbalula fielded concerns from Mnyandu, who has lived almost all his adult life without running water and electricity. It was only recently that he was built a tiny house that has a flushing toilet. 

Mnyandu’s situation was not unique, it is the lived experience of many in the area. Driving there, it seemed we had just driven into a far-flung rural area. 

But the reality is that it is just a stone’s throw from the affluent Umhlanga Ridge, a mere 20 minutes or so drive away.

“We know there are issues of water in this area, the pipe is being fixed that will be able to supply water,” Mbalula said as he finally got to introduce himself to Mnyandu. “We know that this is the biggest issue that people are unhappy with because when you don’t have water it means there’s no life in that area.”

Mbalula told Mnyandu that electricity problems were caused by, among other issues, criminals who steal cables.

But Mnyandu interjected: “You can stop that from happening if you worked with speed to give everyone electricity because they cut those power lines to go and install them elsewhere, but if everyone had electricity there wouldn’t be a need for them to cut those power lines.”

Mbalula and his entourage told Mnyandu that there is a sticker on his window that shows he is next in line to get electricity. “That’s not enough, from this side [pointing to his left], it was supposed to first come to me before it went to the people on that side. Now people who have electricity are all the way in Ndwedwe,” he said. 

An ANC member came from behind Mnyandu to quietly ask him to let it go, saying that the issue could be discussed later, away from the limelight. 

“No, when will I get another opportunity?” said Mnyandu. “I’ve been visited here so I have to speak about these things.”

Mbalula backed him up, saying people must not be muzzled during these door-to-door visits.

I’m not going to listen because I’ve been poor for a long time

—  Nkosazana Mdletshe

Mantashe faced a similar problem when he campaigned in Richards Bay. Nkosazana Mdletshe, a hawker who sells food at the taxi rank, unleashed her wrath against Mantashe, refusing to listen to him. 

“What will listening to you help me with because I’ve known you for a long time and you’ve never come to visit us here?” she said, looking away. She said she appreciated the government for erecting the structure for their shops, but she had six children, all unemployed and reliant on her for support.

She said while people were suffering, the political parties were expecting to get their votes, which would only benefit the same politicians.

“I’m not going to listen because I’ve been poor for a long time. I love the ANC, but how will I be able to vote for it when all you care about is my vote and you’ve never seen me as your child — and never came to visit just to check up on me, just to check if I am alive? That’s important,” Mdletshe said.

Asked about his engagement with Mdletshe, Mantashe said it was wrong to focus on one negative engagement out of the many positive ones he had. He said such heated engagements were normal during a door-to-door campaign.

Dominant in the ANC message was that it had plans to deal with poverty by creating jobs. The party also promised to convert the R350 grants to a permanent basic income grant.

Party leaders also highlighted how the ANC government had improved access to higher education through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). This message seemed to resonate, especially with first-time voters who are themselves NSFAS beneficiaries or hopefuls.

They said RDP housing, child support grants and free basic education were also achievements that the party said illustrated its ability to deliver. 

The jury is out on whether this messaging was enough to convince Mnyandu and Mdletshe.