uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) is working around the clock to flush out divisions among its structures, which have cost it votes during previous by-elections, said party KwaZulu-Natal convenor Willies Mchunu.
Mchunu spoke to this reporter while he was on his way to uPhongolo Municipality, in the northern KwaZulu-Natal, to mobilise MKP supporters to come out in big numbers to vote in the Ward 99 by-election.
The party, whose formation in December 2023 saw the ANC losing its grip on power, leading to the establishment of the Government of National Unity and KwaZulu-Natal Government of Provincial Unity, would be battling out against its competitors in two province’s by-elections that would take place on April 2 in the uPhongolo and KwaDukuza municipalities.
The ward councillor position in uPhongolo was left vacant after the natural death of IFP ward councillor, Mthokozeni Gedion Dlangamadla, on January 12.
While Mchunu campaigned in uPhongolo, his principal Jacob Zuma was in KwaDukuza Municipality campaigning for MKP candidate Doeshiee Govender in the Ward 28 by-election. Govender resigned last month as the ANC councillor in the same ward.
Zuma addressed hundreds of his supporters in a rally held at Shakaskraal sports field.
Mchunu said the infighting was letting the party down.
“Besides today’s programme (campaigning), I came here (uPhongolo) to have a meeting tomorrow (Saturday),” he said.
He said the meeting was for him to listen to problems faced by local structures and members.
He said the by-elections were an important test of how the party would perform in the next year’s local elections.
“I am not going to only mobilise people to go out to vote (for the by-election), but I will also talk about the importance of unity in the organisation because we have observed that the disunity is costing us elections.
“Therefore, wherever there is infighting, we lose elections, so whenever there are by-elections, my job goes beyond mobilising people to make sure that members of the MKP are united,” said Mchunu.
MKP has so far experienced challenges in winning by-elections in the northern part of the province. In February, it performed poorly in the Mhlabuyalinga Municipality’s Ward 15, where it received 19%, trailing behind the IFP’s 48% and ANC’s 30%.
Infighting linked to power mongering also saw Zuma’s daughter throwing harsh words to party Secretary-General Floyd Shivambu
Infighting in Msunduzi Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, saw the party losing Ward 1 because it had contested with two candidates for the same ward late last year.
During a door-to-door campaign in KwaDukuza, former public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, who is now the convener of Mpumalanga for the MKP, told the media that having gained 37 seats at the KwaZulu-Natal legislature, the party would make sure to win all future by-elections.
“Now we have started a process of making sure that each and every by-election we are contesting, we are taking it and we are reminding our people that we are a government in waiting.
“We are saying to them, give us the power so that when we are contesting for 2026, we take all the wards so that we can really change their lives,” she said.
Advocate Dali Mpofu and Nathi Nhleko, who are senior party leaders, were part of the KwaDukuza campaign.
The party would also contest the Ward 9 by-election in the Makhado Municipality, Limpopo. It is not featured in the Johannesburg Municipality’s Ward 82 and 99 by-elections.
ANC KZN spokesperson Fanele Sibisi said the party’s provincial task team members were going all out to campaign as they were taking every by-election seriously following dismal general election results.
“Even the members of the national executive committee are deployed in various wards that are contesting these elections,” he said.
He said the party, through by-elections, was starting to regain lost ground as its supporters who left it were coming back.
“People are realising their mistakes, they are committed to helping the ANC to regain its grounds.
“They acknowledge that there is a need to work within the organisation and help it, so we are confident the party would regain the strength during the ongoing by-elections,” said Sibisi.
Meanwhile, IFP spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa said party President Velenkosini Hlabisa would address a campaign rally in uPhongolo on Sunday.
“Our campaign is in full swing. Our president will be campaigning in uPhongolo and we are looking forward to a favourable outcome.
“Every by-election is important, and we are not taking any of them for granted,” said Hlengwa.