As the IFP’s internal squabbling over leadership positions threatens to derail its aspirations in the 2011 local government elections, the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal is striking while the iron is hot.
At the eMangusi Sports Complex on Saturday, less than 30km from the Farazela border post between South Africa and Mozambique, the ANC attracted over 10 000 supporters to a post-January 8th birthday celebration rally.
The uMhlabuyalingana local municipality (part of the Umkhunyakude district municipality), into which eMangusi falls, has been an IFP stronghold since 1994. The rally was an opportunity for the ANC to kick-off their New Year electioneering campaign in an area where they have been hard at work building support over the past five years. At the last national general elections the ANC garnered over 50% of the vote in the area.
Mike Dlomo, an ANC organiser, told the Mail & Guardian on Saturday that the party had been working tirelessly in the area for months as it sought to build support and recruit members.
“Our best strategy has been deploying 10 election volunteers to every voting station in the area to recruit at least two people a week. If they get three or four, that’s [a] bonus.”
‘It makes my heart smile’
Dlomo added the strategy was working very well: “Look at all these people leaving the stadium [at the end of the rally]. It is beautiful, it makes my heart smile,” he said.
Dlomo estimated the attendance at the rally at about 20 000 people: “I was in charge of T-shirts and I had 20 000 and they are all gone,” he said.
So the rally was as much about celebrating 99 years of the “Khongolese”, as taking some sharp digs at the IFP.
Several speakers, including South African Communist Party provincial chairperson Themba Mthembu, Congress of South African Trade Unions provincial chairperson Zet Luzipho and ANC provincial head and KZN premier Zweli Mkhise, were unable to resist some digs at IFP president Mangosuthu Buthelezi and the municipal leadership in the area.
Voting for ‘change’
The crowd were urged to vote for “change” and for the ANC, which promised to prioritise job creation and development in the area. Mkhize emphasised the ANC’s pro-rural and pro-poor policies — most emanating from resolutions at Polokwane — and how that would benefit the deprived area where roads, healthcare, education and safety (the area has been blighted by cross-border hijacking raids from Mozambique) required urgent attention.
A consistent characteristic of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal — which became abundantly obvious here — was how slick and sophisticated their electioneering machinery has become after years of honing.
Acts like maskanda giant Phusekhemisi and South African Music Award-winning hip-hop outfit Big Nuz performed and ensure that both old and young hooked into the ANC message. From Winnie Khumalo’s pro-ANC songs from the last election to the tireless work of ANC staff in recruiting members, postering and handing out T-shirts late into the night, the ANC machine is oiled and ready for this year’s local government election.