ANC pins hopes on other parties to save KZN GPU after NFP snub

The ANC will consider other parties to join the KwaZulu-Natal government of provincial unity (GPU) should the talks with the National Freedom Party (NFP) fail to yield positive results. The party’s provincial task team announced at a media briefing on Tuesday that it had met the NFP’s top leaders in an effort to persuade the party to stay in the governing pact. The two parties could not reach consensus, however, after the NFP made certain demands as key conditions to stay in the GPU.

“The ANC will want to see a situation where the GNU can be opened to those who still want to join it. The same principle will apply in KwaZulu-Natal if there are parties who can consider, and are able to come to, the GPU, but they must meet certain conditions,” said Mike Mabuyakhulu, the party’s provincial task team co-ordinator. Earlier this year, the NFP announced its intention to quit the GPU, citing irreconcilable differences.

The party holds a crucial swing vote in the 41 seats in government. The standoff also saw the party throwing its weight behind the MKP-backed motion to collapse the GPU, which subsequently failed. Asked by Sowetan what conditions the NFP had brought forth, Mabuyakhulu did not say.

[paywall]

The GPU comprises the IFP, ANC and DA. However, Mabuyakhulu said, they had not shut the door on the NFP, as the ANC’s top brass was expected to deliberate on the “issues” raised by the NFP. Sources told Sowetan on condition of anonymity that among the conditions the NFP put to the ANC was the removal of Thulasizwe Buthelezi.

Buthelezi is one of the IFP’s senior leaders and MEC for co-operative governance and traditional affairs. He is also the AmaZulu traditional prime minister, a position left vacant by the late IFP founder Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi. “The NFP’s view is that while we have historic differences with the IFP, Thulasizwe’s disdain towards us is making the conditions worse.

During his time as mayor of Zululand district he was instrumental in dividing the NFP,” one source said. Another matter which had apparently caused a stalemate was the insistence by the NFP that the uMkhonto weSizwe Party should be one of the parties governing the province. Sowetan understands that the IFP had reached out to the EFF to join the GPU and keep the NFP out.

The NFP snubbed a meeting between the GPU partners, citing the IFP’s disloyalty and hostility. NFP president Irvin Barnes told Sowetan yesterday that the party had not agreed on anything with the ANC. “At the moment, we are meeting all parties. We will make an announcement in due course,” he said.

[/paywall]