MK results in KwaZulu-Natal surprise ANC

The ANC's Nomvula Mokonyane says the elections results from KwaZulu-Natal, which favour the new uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, were beyond what the ruling party had expected.

She said the ANC was concerned. By 2pm on Friday, MK was leading the province with 641,220 votes (44.13%), followed by the ANC with 273,443 votes (18.82%) and the IFP is in the third position with 229,470 votes (15.79%). The votes were at 49.48% complete. 

“We said it when we campaigned that it is unfortunate that we are contesting against an organiser and an activist of the ANC, a [former] president of the ANC [Jacob Zuma]. And what has come out is exactly what was our concern and as to what has happened in KZN. Of course, it has surprised the ANC and it is beyond what we expected,” said Mokonyane, speaking from the IEC's National Results Operations Centre in Midrand. 

Mokonyane said there will be discussions on what led to their party's drop in votes in KwaZulu-Natal. “Where do these votes come from? What may be the issues and how do we best give a better explanation of that? We can't pre-empt on what the collective of the ANC may come and conclude as the reasons behind all of this,” said Mokonyane.

She said she was still confident that the ANC will perform well nationally.  “We must wait for the rest and allow the ANC's organisational processes. It's only the ANC that respects that organisational processes.”

Conversations about coalitions will not be decided on the floor of the results centre, she said. “We don't toy around. We reflect on what is good for the country as well as respecting the will of the voters and that is why we went into these elections with the full intent of obtaining victory for the ANC.

“Decisions for the ANC on the future of relationships stem from the constitutional structures of the ANC and not here on the floor of the results centre.”

Regarding the fate of the head of state should the ANC fail, Mokonyane said there we was no talk on President Cyril Ramaphosa's resignation — whether final results match expectations or not..

“Nobody is going to resign, the man did so well. He addressed over seven community meetings in one day. He did 20 to 30 house visits in a day, and collectively all of us are still confident that he has to remain the president of the ANC and his term is very fresh. These are not child politics in the ANC, we are a liberation movement. The hurdles we go through do not have to be apportioned to an individual,” said Mokonyane.

Meanwhile, police minister, Bheki Cele, who was also at the centre, said the police were prepared should the MK Party cause disruptions after the announcement of the election results.

“I am sure they themselves knew it was a good dream. To get two thirds [of the vote] that does come every day, but if they win, then good. But our preparations after the announcement are very much fixed and up so that if people are not satisfied with what they get, we are there and we are not worried,” said Cele.

“Those who were calling for the war before elections, we have arrested a few of them. Even those that caused chaos in Mthatha have been arrested. There are two gentlemen that were calling people to cause chaos, they have also been arrested.”