IFP outperforms ANC in northern KZN, set to retain Nkandla
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) is expected to win the majority of the votes in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal.
A total of 98% of the votes were tallied in Nkandla by Wednesday morning, with the IFP leading at more than 57%.
The party is set to continue running the municipality after the ANC failed to outsmart the IFP in former president Jacob Zuma’s hometown.
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With 54% of the ballots captured in KwaZulu-Natal, the ANC is leading with 42% of the vote followed by the IFP with 25%.
The IFP has gathered more than 40% of the vote in Nqutu, uMsinga, uMvoti, uPhongolo, Nongoma, Mtubatuba, Nqutu, Alfred Duma, iNkosi Langalibalele and Maphumulo.
A majority vote is on the horizon for the IFP in Ulundi, Jozini, uMfolozi, Big Five Hlabisa and Nkandla after it secured more than 50% of the vote.
IFP spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa attributed the party's performance in the local government elections to a well-run campaign.
“We’ve got a very clear project of regaining the province of KwaZulu-Natal, and this election was critical.
“Our elections campaign was based on grassroots. We got a good track record of service delivery and because where we govern, we deliver,” said Hlengwa at the IEC’s national results operations centre in Pretoria West.
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Some 67% of the votes were captured at noon on Wednesday with Hlengwa confident that the IFP will continue its upward trend.
“We’ve got a solid leadership and a united party which is focus on the collective interest of the people and not the political considerations of leaders. The trust deficit that prevailed in other political parties – doesn’t exist in the IFP, we’ve got a trust surplus.”