MKP's recent wins raise temperature in battleground KZN

KWAZULU-NATAL has always been an important province to different political parties.

- PROF BHEKI MNGOMEZULU

In 1994, both the ANC and the IFP were determined to clinch KZN, but the IFP emerged victorious.

Years later, the ANC joined hands with the IFP to co-govern the province. Subsequently, the ANC won the province. While licking its wounds, the IFP did not give up hope that it would one day reclaim KZN from the ANC.

Not to be left out in this scramble for KZN, the DA opted to work with the IFP to neutralise the ANC. Its plan seemed to be on course until two developments happened.

The first one was the passing away of Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who had been the face of the IFP since its formation in 1975.

Even after Velenkosini Hlabisa was elected as the new leader, he remained in Buthelezi’s shadow, as evidenced in the positioning of his face on the party’s campaign T-shirts. With Buthelezi gone, there was uncertainty about the future of the IFP.

The second setback was the emergence of uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) led by former president Jacob Zuma.

The new MKP scuttled the IFP’s plan to reclaim the province. Not even the DA’s support could assist it in this regard. The IFP’s hope of benefiting from the ANC’s decline and self-inflicted wounds were dashed by Zuma’s MKP.

But neither the DA nor the IFP would give up without a fight. They invested their time and resources to ensure that they contained the new MKP. As the date of the 2024 general election came closer, it became clear that the MKP was going to be a force to be reckoned with.

In preparation for the 2024 general election, various political parties descended on KZN to try their luck by either increasing their support base or by totally winning the premiership of the province.