The recently appointed ANC’s Mzala Nxumalo regional task team will have its first political test on Wednesday to retain ward 23 in a by-election.

The ward in Abaqulusi Local Municipality in Vryheid north of KwaZulu-Natal became vacant a few months ago after the death of the ANC councillor.

The provincial task team decided to drop all the top five regional executive committee members except chairperson Sbu Mhlongo when appointing the regional task team two weeks back. Mhlongo too was relegated to the deputy convener’s position and the party brought back little known Thokozani Myeni to head the team as convener. Myeni, a former member of Parliament was a treasurer in the leadership whose term expired in 2022.

Myeni’s task team will try to ward off MKP and IFP which showed a great interest in winning the ward. Last week the ANC deployed Police Minister Senzo Mchunu before being placed on leave by President Cyril Ramaphosa to campaign for the party.

A senior member of the ANC in the region who was in the disbanded regional executive committee said the way parties are campaigning for the party it looks like it will be ‘photo finish’. 

“It is a hotly contested ward which has never been seen before in this municipality.  We hope our party will win but with a slight margin. All the parties want to win this one,” said the member.

In the 45-seat council, IFP got 21, ANC 14, NFP 4,  EFF 3, DA 2 and FF+ 1. IFP controls the municipality with the help of the DA and FF+, however, FF+ councillor had voted with the ANC in several instances according to ANC members.

Although the ANC has raised concerns over the unverified registered voters in the ward, the party provincial spokesperson Fanle Sibisi said the party is confident of retaining the ward.

On Tuesday morning, tensions ran high after ANC claimed that a group of people who were suspected to have been transported from Gauteng by a rival party were intercepted in a voting station for special votes.

“We are going to win the ward but we urged the Independent Electoral Commission to ensure that the voting process adheres to the rule of law,” said Sibisi.

If the ANC retains the ward it will strengthen its power base and with the assistance of NFP, EFF and FF+ the numbers between its coalition and IFP/DA pact will tie at 23 which will cause a stalemate.

willem.phungula@inl.co.za

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