The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal will not be fielding a premier candidate during the first sitting of the provincial legislature but will instead support one from a coalition partner which received a larger share of the votes, provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo said.
This is as political parties are yet to conclude coalition discussions before the June 16 deadline. Business Day understands the province is likely to be led by an IFP, ANC and DA tie-up or an uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), EFF and National Freedom Party (NFP) working arrangement.
“If we agree with parties we talk to, the bigger party than us will lead the executive,” Mtolo said without mentioning with which parties the provincial leadership has held discussions.
“ANC is not power hungry. We are not fielding a premier candidate in KZN. We are focusing on service delivery agreements, clean governance, economic growth, job creating, respect for the constitution, the rule of law, and stability.”
Former president Jacob Zuma won the lion’s share of the vote at 45.35%, falling short of an outright majority.
The party is expected to boycott the first sitting of the KZN legislature scheduled for Friday after approaching the Constitutional Court on Monday, seeking an interdict to prevent chief justice Raymond Zondo and secretary to parliament Xolile George from convening the event at which the speaker and president will be elected.
The five-month-old party has rejected the election results saying they were rigged.
The ANC lost the province and has been relegated to third position with 16.99% share of the vote, behind the IFP’s 18.07%.
Though the NFP won 0.56% of the vote in the province it is expected to be the kingmaker as both coalition groupings are understood to be courting it.
The DA was the fourth-biggest party in the province, with 13.36% of the vote, while the EFF got 2.26% of the vote.
The outcomes of the discussions between the ANC and other minority parties to form a government of national unity (GNU) are expected to filter down to provinces where there has been no outright majority.
The IFP, DA and the Patriotic Alliance have in principle agreed to the ANC’s unity proposal but are engaging in discussions regarding the details of the proposal.
The MK party and EFF have rejected a GNU.
“Discussions must not filter into provinces where one party has won a majority, so that excludes provinces such as Limpopo and the Western Cape. Our view has always been that the negotiations be focused on national level and the three provinces which have not been won with a majority which includes,” a DA Federal Council member who is familiar with the talks told Business Day.
The party’s spokesperson and deputy federal chairperson, Solly Malatasi, said the final decision to accept the ANC’s proposal lies with the party’s federal executive, which includes leader John Steenhuisen.
The ANC’s alliance partner Cosatu has welcomed the GNU proposal but remains sceptical of the inclusion of the DA because of its “antiworker and transformation mandate”.
Correction: June 11 2024
This story now names secretary to parliament as Xolile George.
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