THE IFP's victory in the Ward 13 by-election has made them match the number of seats with the ANC in the City of uMhlathuze.
Before this victory, the ANC had 25 seats, and IFP followed behind with 24 seats.
The IFP is in coalition with the DA, which has eight seats, Freedom Plus (FF+) and the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), which have one seat each.
This victory has increased the IFP tally, which means even if the other parties drop them together with their official partner DA, they can still stay in power as they make 33 seats in total while the ANC-EFF-NFP coalition makes a total of 32.
IFP provincial chairman Thami Ntuli said the IFP won with 2 724 votes, beating ANC with margins of 372 votes as they got 2 348 votes.
“This stunning victory in Ward 13 firmly positions the IFP to share equal representation with the ANC in the City of uMhlathuze Council. Out of the 67 seats in the council, both the IFP and ANC will now hold 25 seats each, ushering in a new era of balanced political dynamics,” he said.
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Ntuli said the IFP in KZN proudly dedicated the remarkable victory to the founder of the party, the late Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi.
“This triumph stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of Prince Buthelezi and reaffirms that the IFP remains a formidable force in South African politics,” said Ntuli.
As the IFP continues to clean most of the by-elections that are held in the province, with their next stop now being elect their premier candidate.
There have been rumours that IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa is beefing with provincial chairman Ntuli over the premier post.
But Hlabisa has put the rumours to bed as he claims the party is yet to elect their candidate.
“There is no confusion in the IFP besides the confusion that is created by certain people on social media. The party is still going to sit down to discuss who will be closing the vacancy at the national level,” said Hlabisa.
He said their focus now is the 2024 elections.
“There is no pressure to elect the people who will represent the party at the national and provincial level. There is no problem, and IFP is a mature party. We will do everything in our time and not be pushed by social media,” said Hlabisa.
