EFF leader Julius Malema has confirmed that his party will support the no-confidence motion against KwaZulu-Natal premier Thami Ntuli.
Ntuli faces a motion of no confidence vote on Monday at the KwaZulu-Natal legislature in Pietermaritzburg.
In a media briefing on Thursday, Malema said his party will support Ntuli’s removal.
“The secretary-general has been assigned to go to KZN to make sure that the motion succeeds, and we call on the Umkhonto weSizwe Party to call on Jacob Zuma to come to those negotiations.
“Because the problem is that you talk to them and you agree, it takes weeks for them to come back and execute because they are still looking for Jacob Zuma, who is nowhere to be found.
“So, if they are serious about that motion, Zuma must be part of those negotiations right from tomorrow and over the weekend,” he said.
Malema’s appeal to the ANC
Malema said the EFF will even try to convince the ANC to vote Ntuli out despite the ANC being in a coalition with the IFP and the DA in KwaZulu-Natal.
“We will speak to the ANC if they are prepared to speak to us formally, but if they do not want to speak to us formally, nothing stops us from speaking to ANC members, individuals of the legislature, to speak to their conscience and do what is right for the people of KZN.”
Malema said that while the EFF and the MK party do not see eye to eye on certain issues, he believes the party should govern in KZN because it received more votes than any other party in the 2024 elections.
“Who am I to determine what the people of KZN want? They have spoken about what they want; they have given us the direction, and we ought to respect that if we respect democracy.
“If the MKP gets into government and becomes corrupt and mismanages the government of KZN, we are there to hold them accountable to fight with them,” he said.
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MK Party ready for negotiations
In a statement on Thursday, the MK party said it is still rallying support from other political parties to ensure the motion against Ntuli succeeds.
The party believes the current coalition in KZN is a political experiment that has not benefited the province’s people.
“The MK party is prepared to work with any force committed to breaking the hold of neoliberal governance in KwaZulu-Natal. We are ready to build a government rooted in the will of the people, accountable to the people and guided by the clear understanding that true political power belongs to those who produce and sustain society, not those who exploit it.
“Our people shall govern,” said party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela.
IFP response to the motion
Meanwhile, the IFP continues to rally behind Ntuli. They are describing the motion of no confidence as a ploy to destabilise governance in the province.
“The IFP reaffirms its full confidence in the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Hon. Thami Ntuli, ahead of the baseless motion of no confidence brought by the uMkhonto WeSizwe Party (MKP).
“This motion represents a reckless attempt to destabilise the province at a time when KZN requires focused governance and continuity,” said the party.
Meanwhile, the National Freedom Party (NFP), which is in the IFP-led coalition in the province, said it would support the motion of no-confidence vote.
The party’s president, Ivan Barnes, told The Citizen this week that Ntuli had failed to deal with corruption and maladministration. He also accused the ANC of failing to remove corrupt officials from public office.
Seat allocation
The MK party will need 41 votes for this motion to succeed; they have 37 seats, the EFF has 2, and the NFP has one.
The IFP has 15 seats, the DA has 11, and the ANC has 14.
ANC problems in KZN
The ANC said it is speaking with all parties to ensure government stability in KZN.
However, the party’s secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, has announced a complete overhaul of the party’s provincial structures early next year.
He said the party’s current provincial leadership is ineffective. The ANC received 17% of the vote in the last general elections.
“There are going to be changes in KZN because the structure is too big, and we are going to make it leaner, and we are going to bring new people in KZN, so that you must know that it is coming.
“We are not happy about our performance there…we need to get out of that particular situation, we have not been doing well. In KZN, we disbanded the structure because we are facing an existential crisis there,” he said.
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