ANC National Chairperson Gwede Mantashe expressed his surprise at the recent successes of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party in KwaZulu-Natal.

Despite these unexpected developments, Mantashe remains optimistic about the ANC’s performance in other regions. Currently, the MK party has outpaced the ANC, the IFP, and the EFF in KwaZulu-Natal. However, it is important to note that the results are still preliminary as vote counting continues nationwide. Mantashe is confident that the MK party will not replicate this success in other provinces.

“They have done well in KZN, we must say they are doing well in KZN. They have surprised me a little bit there, but they are not going to do that in other provinces. They won’t do that in the Eastern Cape. I’m watching Gauteng,”

Mantashe stated.

When questioned about the ANC’s prospects in Mpumalanga, Mantashe was emphatic:

“Mpumalanga, they won’t do well in Mpumalanga. We are going to do well. We are going to do well in Mpumalanga. I can tell you now, we’re going to do well in Mpumalanga, we’re going to do well in Limpopo, we’re going to do well in the Eastern Cape, we’re going to do well in the Free State and we are doing relatively well in the North West.”

While the MK party’s performance in KwaZulu-Natal has certainly drawn attention, Mantashe’s confidence in the ANC’s strength across other provinces suggests a belief in the party’s enduring influence and reach. The coming days will reveal whether this optimism is well-founded as final results emerge.