The Umkhonto WeSiwezwe Party (MK Party) has secured a coalition agreement with the National Freedom Party (NFP) to jointly govern KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) with the support of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).

This development followed a meeting on Wednesday between MK Party leader Jacob Zuma and NFP leader Ivan Barnes. Insiders from both parties confirmed that the NFP agreed to support the MK Party, which had won the most votes in the province but fell short of an outright majority.

They also relied on the backing of the EFF, which had publicly announced its intention to work with the MK Party in KZN. The coalition of the three parties will hold 40 seats in the 80-seat provincial legislature.

“The deal is done between MK, EFF and NFP. And we know we will get a few members from the ANC and IFP ranks who will vote with us. So there is no crisis,”

said an informant intricately involved in the horse-trading negotiations in the province.

This coalition agreement comes amidst concerns that the African National Congress (ANC), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), and Democratic Alliance (DA), which collectively also have 40 seats, might have reached a covert agreement to govern KZN without the MK Party and EFF.

“In our meeting with the IFP, they came with ridiculous demands of wanting 60% of the provincial government if they partner with MK. It would emerge later that they were doing this because they already have the deal with the ANC. This involved making their president the country’s second deputy president,”

said a source close to the developments.

BREAKING NEWS

𝙄𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙁𝙋, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 60% 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙜𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙈𝙆. 𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙚… pic.twitter.com/1rkSs4tQxN

— Mr. Tshweu (@TshweuMoleme) June 12, 2024

Another insider highlighted growing suspicions about the first sitting of the KZN legislature. This session, organized on the same day as the national assembly sitting, was suspected to involve underhanded dealings.

“Obviously, the MK will not be able to watch the KZN situation and national assembly at the same time. This has the hallmarks of political manoeuvring by certain elements of the liberation movement. [They] want the ANC-DA marriage by hook or crook,”

said the source.

As the MK Party, NFP, and EFF prepare to govern KZN together, the political landscape in the province remains tense. The dynamics between these parties and their rivals will undoubtedly shape the future governance and political climate of KwaZulu-Natal.