Durban — While there has been talk of behind-the-scenes discussions between the African National Congress (ANC) and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party in a bid to do away with the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), there was little sign of that as the Inkatha Freedom Party and the Democratic Alliance joined the fray in attacking former president Jacob Zuma and his party.
There was an exchange of verbal assaults during the debate at the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature on Thursday.
MKP Members of the Provincial Legislature (MPLs), amid talk of political horse-trading with the ANC-coaxed GPU members, declared themselves as a government-in-waiting, insisting that with 45% of the vote which they garnered in the May 29 elections, they should be in government.
Responding to the statement, the DA leader and Finance MEC dismissed MKP MPLs, stressing that they would not be in government.
“Let me give a lesson in 101 mathematics, 45% does not constitute a majority, therefore you sit on the left of the house, and you will remain on the left of the house,” said Rodgers.
He added that the voters had realised that the MKP in Zuma, was led by a man who had brought untold misery to South Africans.
“You are led by the architect of our misery, Jacob Zuma, and that is why you do not have a majority ” the DA leader stressed.
ANC MPL Mafika Mndebele accused Zuma of treachery and scheming with the Economic Freedom Fighters in trying to topple the GPU.
According to the ANC MPL, the EFF had been hoodwinked by Zuma under false pretences of black unity, when he was in fact milking the EFF’s support base.
“Let us be clear honourable members, the history of Jacob Zuma is that of betrayal, he betrayed the ANC the very movement that gave him power. He betrayed the people of South Africa, he betrayed Amakhosi and now he betrayed the EFF,” said Mndebele.
He added that Zuma had applied the divide-and-rule strategy to the EFF by pretending to be friends with its leadership.
“Jacob Zuma told the EFF leadership about the vision of unity and true African renaissance while the EFF was busy with that Zuma gutted their membership, hollowed their structures and ensured that anyone senior in their leadership sits at his table,” Mndebele said.
Former ANC Member of Parliament and current MKP MPL Mervin Dirks told the sitting that the ANC had lost its support with many of the supporters and members voting for MKP.
“uMkhonto weSizwe is not desperate and neither are we begging to be in government because the people of this province know who the legitimate government of KZN is,” said Dirks.
He pointed to how the ANC had a clear choice to make in order to demonstrate that it sided with the people.
“Instead of joining the MK Party and its lost voters, the ANC decided to go into voluntary liquidation with the IFP and the DA. The DA and the IFP are busy liquidating it,” Dirks stressed.
Responding to the debate, Inkatha Freedom Party MPL Mntomuhle Khawula accused the MK Party of running out of ideas, noting how they had given the government only days to exist but were frustrated at seeing it surviving weeks and months.
Khawula, who is also a Sport, Arts and Culture MEC listed some visible positives, saying these had been possible because of the GPU.
“KZN GPU has since 16 June 2024 moved to ensure that services at the local level are delivered to the people with speed. EThekwini Municipality which was nearing collapse before is today inspiring hope and under Mayor Cyril Xaba and his team is hard at work and in his own words eThekwini Metropolitan is a construction site at the behest of the GPU intervention,” said the MEC.
EFF MPL Mongezi Thwala dismissed the GPU government as an arrangement of gimmicks insisting that the partners making up such a government did not even trust each other.
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