Issues at Stake: Four bulls lock horns in the KZN kraal

THE silly season of electioneering is in full swing with at least four bulls in the KZN kraal vying for the honours come August 3.

The IEC, anticipating unprecedented contestation in the province has mooted special courts to deal quickly with any transgressions that may occur.

Whether this will deter hostile actions that have been reported in some areas remains to be seen.

What is certain is that opposition parties are poised to rattle the ANC cage, while the latter is fighting for survival instead of relevance as is the case with its competitors.

So, irrespective of what naysayers believe, the KZN poll will be the most contested.

The lesson from the NFP debacle is: whatever you do you must be hands-on, be on time and be smarter.

The non-payment of registration fees by the party has opened its leadership to scrutiny, not least because of its president’s ill health.

Is the party a one woman party?

If those who have been entrusted with navigating the NFP ship through the perilous waters of election are able to manage the ship and do that in time, it will be a miracle.

The NFP supporters are restless and confused at this stage and some may even look for a safer roof to hide under. The other players know this and have not wasted any time wooing them.

The EFF was the first out of the blocks, sympathising with the NFP while criticising the IEC’s partiality at the same time.

Everybody knows this is a matter for the Electoral Court, but electioneering is not about being rational, it is about being the loudest.

Hence the others jumped on the bandwagon empathising with the NFP, although secretly all the parties would like to have the NFP loyalists wrapped in their own colours.

That is the predatory nature of politics – one’s loss is another’s gain. Who will gain out of the NFP’s bungle?

Suspicions
If it was not for the seeming deep suspicions between the NFP and IFP, the latter would be the major beneficiary.

After all, the two parties share the same umbilical cord and the NFP members would fit snugly in the IFP fold.

However, in the aftermath of the non-payment, the NFP was quick to point fingers at the IFP as the saboteurs. This might work against Umntwana’s party.

In the same breath, if the NFP members side with the ANC en masse, that will give credence to the IFP’s claim that the NFP was the creation of the ANC.

While the ANC would welcome any support it gets, it wouldn’t want to be seen as involved in underhand shenanigans. In the end though it is these two parties that stand a better chance to benefit from the NFP – on this they are neck and neck.

The EFF’s role in this horse trading would be even more interesting as they could easily decide the swing votes.

Even though they were initially against coalition, that stance has since moderated to a willingness to work with like-minded parties.

Their strong opposition of their mother body might force them to work with the IFP – in any case Julius Malema apologised to Mangosuthu Buthelezi.

With the Nkandla battle cry silent, the EFF will need a new drum to beat and the IFP may just offer them one.

Whatever happens, this is an interesting poll. We can only hope and pray for free and fair elections.

That we deserve.