MK keeps scoring own goals

Two weeks ago, the National Freedom Party (NFP) caused quite a stir in the KwaZulu-Natal provincial legislature by threatening to withdraw its support for the governing coalition led by Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) premier Thamsanqa Ntuli.

- Sydney Majoko

If it wasn't for the fact that the collective attention of the nation is on the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry and the parliamentary ad hoc committee - which are probing allegations of corruption and political influence on the police - this would have been a somewhat seismic event on the country's political front.

But it wasn't. Life is going on and Ntuli is still premier of KwaZulu-Natal.

By the NFP's own assertion, it makes no logical sense that the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, led by former president Jacob Zuma, got 45% of the vote in KwaZulu-Natal, but somehow finds itself outside the government of provincial unity as the official opposition.

Although it did not win the province outright, MK got the highest vote in the province.

While the NFP was eager to go into government with the ANC and the IFP, it took it more than a year to realise the injustice of having a party with 45% outside the coalition.