WATCH | Mantashe admits ANC were ‘slaughtered’ by MK in KZN

Mantashe

Cape Town — African National Congress (ANC) chairperson, Gwede Mantashe, said the party has not yet recovered from it’s poor performance in Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN) during the 2024 general elections.

Mantashe was speaking during a memorial service held for the former Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana, who died last week aged 72. During the service, Mantashe lamented, the ANC’s losses during the elections and said former ANC president, Jacob Zuma and the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party contributed significantly to the losses in KZN, Gauteng and Mpumalanga, IOL reported.

HE said the MK Party also had a negative affect on the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP).

“MK got into the IFP network of voters coming from hostels and took significant votes there. Even in Mpumalanga, it took our votes. I still want an analyst who will write this because it was actually ethno-nationalism and also elaborate it from a research base. That was ethno-nationalism directed to the slogan (Zulu hlanganani),” he said.

Mantashe stated that MK was for the Zulus and not for everyone but the party has said on multiple occasions that it was a party that served everyone. Following the elections, the MK Party stood as the 3rd biggest in the country, holding 58 seats in Parliament, while it picked up 45% of the votes in KZN, beating the ANC’s 16.99% by some margin.

According to TimesLIVE, Mantashe said the party was ‘slaughtered by Zuma’s MK Party.

“In KZN, [we] were slaughtered by your [Mdladlana] age-mate Jacob Gedlehlekisa Zuma. They say our people went to the voting stations wearing ANC T-shirts, ate ANC food but voted for the MK Party. He defeated us plainly. He punished us and punished Inkatha IFP. I am reporting him to you, bhuti Bhalo [Mdladlana],” said Mantashe.

Mantashe said the party was confident it could win support back through the ANC’s renewal project but its misfortunes have worsened instead. The ANC attempted to make inroads in the Western Cape but unfortunately could not break the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) stronghold in the province.

He praised Mdlalana for dedicating his skills to try and rebuild the ANC’s support in the Western Cape since it lost the province in 2004.
“He gave his skills and capabilities to rebuilding the ANC. He dedicated a lot of time, skills and capabilities in rebuilding the ANC,” said Mantashe.

Acting president Paul Mashatile has declared a special official funeral category 2 to honour Mdladlana. The funeral service will be held on Saturday in Cape Town where Mashatile will deliver the eulogy.

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Compiled by Matthew Petersen

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