Although the vote count has not yet been completed, Floyd Shivambu of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has conceded defeat to the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party.
But he says it is the African National Congress (ANC), which governs the province of KwaZulu-Natal, that has suffered the greatest loss.
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), as well as the Democratic Alliance (DA), were also not spared as the MK Party got more than 1 point three million votes nationally.
“The ANC has suffered the biggest loss in KwaZulu-Natal and possibly more than 40% of the vote that they had in 2019. The IFP is suffering the same fate as well. There was no way that when there are tectonic shifts politically in KZN that the ANC was going to be spared but what is inspiring is that despite a huge contribution from KwaZulu-Natal which was our second biggest contributor of 2019, the EFF is still comfortably a million votes, which demonstrates that we are not a regional party that even if there are shifts in one corner we still remain solid as an organisation that is commendable.”
Rise Mzansi
Meanwhile, the new political party, Rise Mzansi says through their leader Songezo Zibi, that the performance of the MK has had an impact on all parties contesting the poll.
“There was a time where we thought we’d get up to 10 seats then MK happened. We can see some of the data from our agents’ areas where we know we are particularly strong. We didn’t get what we thought we would get. But I think that is true for any political party that was organising in former ANC strongholds like we were. I think the EFF has had the same issue. They are struggling to reach a million which would have been easy for them in the previous election. the ANC is struggling. The DA is struggling in areas where they started making inroads. so you do admit that MK is a factor? No anyone who claims they are not a factor is lying.”
