[DEBATE] : (Fwd) Zumaland not 100% ANC

[Patrick Bond]

The Mercury

Uneasy ANC sends big guns to wage its campaign in KZN

December 11, 2008 Edition 1

NATHI OLIFANT, JEFF WICKS & SAPA

THE ANC's unease over its chances of success in next year's general 
elections in KwaZulu-Natal was demonstrated by the sending of its most 
senior officials to the province yesterday, say political analysts.

Among those who addressed functions in KZN yesterday were ANC president 
Jacob Zuma, safety and security minister Nathi Mthethwa and party 
secretary-general Gwede Mantashe.

Also in the province were national executive committee members Nkosazana 
Dlamini-Zuma and Zola Skweyiya.

Zuma attended a government event where key projects at Mabomvini, in 
Msinga, near Tugela Ferry, an IFP stronghold, were announced. He called 
for the tender process to be reviewed to avoid instances in which 
politicians are able to influence tenders.

"It's clear to me that we need to separate the tender processes from 
politicians," he said.

Sbo Zamisa, of the Centre for Public Participation, said the ANC found 
itself in a tight position in KwaZulu-Natal where it had to fight 
against COPE, which was making inroads in areas like Chatsworth, Durban.

"The ANC needs to deploy its top officials to beef up constituencies, 
especially in rural areas, where they need to sell the party's charisma 
to appeal to the traditional conservatives," he said.

University of KwaZulu-Natal-based political analyst Zakhele Ndlovu agreed.

"KZN is like the Western Cape - the ruling party has never had a strong 
foothold and they have needed coalitions to win these two provinces. If 
a party like COPE can get 2% of the vote and form a coalition with the 
IFP, which is campaigning strongly, the ANC will be dealt a huge 
setback," Ndlovu said.

Minority

Secondly, with COPE and the IFP in the picture, the ANC needed to 
campaign vigorously, he said.

Addressing about 500 people in the Austerville Community Hall in 
Durban's predominantly coloured suburb of Wentworth, Mantashe said 
coloured people should stop thinking of themselves as a minority and 
slammed claims that they were under-represented in the ANC.

He said he was against the term "minorities" because it divided people. 
"We must see ourselves as one group."

Residents complained that they felt ignored by the ANC. There was a lack 
of coloured representation on the eThekwini council and in the 
provincial leadership.

Their constant battle with the Engen refinery, the lack of jobs and the 
drug problem among coloured youths were not being addressed by the ANC, 
they said. One man said he was "not white enough under the apartheid 
government and not black enough under the current government".

Mantashe responded: "You are not absent. You are present within the 
ANC," and rattled off the names of coloured ANC members, including 
finance minister Trevor Manuel.

Speaking at a Sixteen Days of Activism event in Durban last night, 
Mthethwa said the campaign against violence towards women and children 
must be seen in the context of 365 days of action against abuse of women 
and children.

"We must take the 16 days campaign to all parts of the country. It must 
find creative expression in rural areas and townships. It is in these 
areas, where poverty is rife, that women and children are exposed to crime.

"Let us do anything in our power to bring an end to the despicable, 
dehumanising abuse of women and children."