ANC Deputy Secretary-General, Nomvula Mokonyane, has finally admitted that the formation of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK) played a huge role in the party getting less than 50% in the recent elections. Mokonyane briefed the media today at the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to reflect on the outcomes of the May election. The six-day meeting of the ANC's highest decision-making body started on Thursday in Boksburg, in the east of Johannesburg.
THE ZUMA FACTOR
Addressing the media, Mokonyane said the party accepts that the 'Zuma factor' played a role in the decline of their votes in KwaZulu Natal, Gauteng and nationally. "We have to agree that the formation of JZ's party also played a role in the party's decline in this year's elections. People were very sympathetic to JZ's party; they even took our voters from places like Mai Mai," Mokonyane said.
She added, "We must also be wary of the Mabahambe gimmicks; let's stop singing this song because we are not about it. Let's self-correct. We all conceded that there was a new player in town and that the new player was eating from them. We have to find reasons why they voted for JZ's party."
Mokonyane also touched on the recent comments made by the DA Federal Chair, Hellen Zille, where she was quoted saying there was no Government of National Unity (GNU) but a coalition of her party and the ANC. "There is no such thing as Zille being in charge of Luthuli House. Zille does not run Luthuli House. We refuse to be put together with the DA. The ANC conceptualised the GNU and invited all of the parties who are willing to be part of it to join. At the moment we, as the NEC, took the decision to put the country first and this is what we are doing," she said.
A COMEBACK PLAN
Head of Elections, Mdumiseni Ntuli, said that most people have this perception of thinking that the ANC has no comeback plan. He said in his own view is there is no such. We are a big party with many intellectuals, and we are capable of coming back with victories in the future. My own view is that there is a decline in the activism in the party. When we went out to campaign for the party, the environment was very hostile for us since loadshedding was at its peak. By the time we were heading to the polls and the loadshedding began to be a thing of the past, people had already concluded that what we were preaching was something that will never happen in reality," he said.
