Plan: The uMkhonto weSizwe party, which is led by Jacob Zuma, has ambitions to take over the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government. Photo: Independent Media
The Jacob Zuma-led uMkhonto weSizwe Party plans to grab Kwa-Zulu Natal so that it can take charge of the province as the main player in the government of provincial unity by removing mayor Thami Ntuli in a no-confidence motion.
The MK party intends to go to bed with other parties, excluding the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), whose premier, Ntuli, it wants to remove in a vote of no confidence to be tabled soon.
If they succeed, KZN could be forced to hold an early election. The MK party, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the National Freedom Party (NFP) would then form a coalition that excludes the ANC and the IFP.
The legislature has 80 members and, if MK, EFF and NFP form a pact, it would be divided 40-40, meaning that the provincial government would not be able to pass anything.
The MK has 37 seats, EFF has two and NFP has one. The IFP has 15 seats, the ANC 14 and the Democratic Alliance (DA) 11.
The MK party recently put a motion of no confidence against Premier Thami Ntuli. This has been supported by the NFP. It is not clear when the motion will be heard.
The ruling coalition in the province includes IFP, NFP, ANC as well as the (DA).
Former Gauteng provincial Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Mzi Khumalo said a legal process needs to be followed to try to ensure that this did not happen.
Khumalo said if there is no winner after a certain period of time, elections would then be declared.
“There is a process that you follow before you come to that. Coalitions themselves are a risk, if it’s 40-40 and that is it, you then have no option but to call for elections,” he said.
Election analyst Wayne Sussman said if the legislature was split 40-40, it would be difficult to remove Ntuli. “But I believe that, if you cannot pass budgets and departments can’t run, then Cogta would have to come in and one of the things could be an early election.”
Political Analyst Ntsikelelo Breakfast said if one has to premise the argument on the fact that the parties will not find each other – if that’s the case – the Constitution does make a provision for a rerun.
Breakfast said this is unprecedented as he had never seen a rerun at a provincial level.
“Normally a rerun is at a ward level; even at local level. It can even happen at a municipal level. But it has never happened. It is normally a by-election. If the MK prevails, it will be for the first time but there’s nothing that stops that from happening.”
NFP deputy secretary general Zithembe Ngobese told the M&G his party will support the motion to remove the government, which it is part of, because the party is not happy with the status quo.
But Ngobese was coy on whether the NFP had met the MK party to discuss forming a potential coalition.
He said if the two parties shared the same sentiments on development, they would be comfortable working together in a coalition and that their focus in government is to ensure that people are served.
He said the motion to remove the current government would mark a shift in KwaZulu-Natal’s politics. With tension between the EFF and the MK party, it remains unclear how the party will vote on the day of the motion.
However, the EFF has made it clear that it would not listen to any conversation that includes the DA, as it has previously labelled them public enemy number one.
DA party leader John Steenhuisen has also publicly said his party would do whatever it takes to keep the MK party and the EFF out of government.
Even if the NPF did jump ship and support Zuma’s party, they would still need the EFF to at least support them, which would essentially render the province hung.
The ANC has also shown its displeasure with Ntuli’s leadership and with IFP Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi, accusing him of using his position to undermine ANC-led municipalities.
The relationship took further strain when IFP tabled a motion of no confidence in ANC uMkhanyakude mayor Siphile Mdaka, who was subsequently removed from office and replaced by IFP councillor Comfort Khumalo.
ANC provincial task team co-ordinator Mike Mabuyakhulu said the ANC can never allow any partner it is governing with in the government of provincial unity (GPU) to weaponise elements of the coalition.
If the ANC votes with the MK party to remove Ntuli, it could have a ripple effect in the GNU and municipalities like Johannesburg, which the IFP and ANC co-govern.
On Wednesday, M&G reported that the MK party is believed to be courting the ANC, promising that, if it supports the motion, some of the GPU MECs would retain their positions.
It is also understood that the MK Party is wary of relying on the provincial ANC because of the frosty relations it has with the national top brass, especially party president Cyril Ramaphosa.
The party was also open to working with the IFP, should the ANC decide to sit on opposition benches.
“I won’t comment on the EFF stunts, but what I can say is that in politics and power sharing, anything can happen, so we cannot guarantee what is going to happen,” Ngobese said.
MK spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said the provincial government of KwaZulu-Natal does not reflect the will of residents, as the majority of people in the province wanted his party to govern.
“One thing we have said is that the people shall govern and that the government is not reflective of the people and we have also said the vote was rigged, “ he said.
The party felt it had been denied the right to govern the province outright and alleged that last year’s local government elections were rigged to form the GNU, even going to court to challenge the elections.
“The fact that we don’t have numbers, doesn’t mean that we can be quiet on poor governance.”
Ndhela said his party would be willing to work with progressive forces in the province to advance the people’s agenda, but did not specify which parties those were.
“We do not want to find ourselves fighting and debating like you are seeing at the national level with the GNU. They fight about everything instead of focusing on service delivery.”
He would not want to predict the outcomes or modalities of the government that could be formed after the motion against Ntuli, saying they had not even reached the voting part.
“What I can tell you is that the decision we take will be politically and administratively sound for the people of KZN.”
No talks between the MK and the NPF had taken place, but they have seen statements from the NPF expressing dissatisfaction with the government, a sentiment they shared.
Despite sending an inquiry to the minister of Cogta, his media officer and the Electoral Commission of South Africa inquiring about the legalities of dissolving a provincial government there was not reply by the time of going to print.