NFP wants to govern KZN

2012-01-30 20:51

Durban - The National Freedom Party wants to take control of KwaZulu-Natal in the next general elections, party president Zanele Magwaza-Msibi said in Durban on Monday.

"We want to control the province and if we fail to do that we want to be the official opposition party," she told reporters at a briefing about the party's first anniversary celebrations next month.

The African National Congress controls the province with the Inkatha Freedom Party as its official opposition.

The NFP was formed by a group of IFP members in January 2011. Magwaza-Msibi was the IFP's national chairperson.

Buoyed by the 2.4% of the national vote it received during the local government elections in May 2011, the NFP was seeking to secure at least 5% of the national vote during the 2014 elections.

Magwaza-Msibi said her party would soon unveil its plan for the next elections.

"We want to make a difference in the municipalities where we serve. We want to make service delivery a reality."

The NFP controls the Ulundi district municipalities and formed partnerships with the ANC in a number of municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal after the 2011 local government elections.

"I expect to be judged by the quality of my leadership in Zululand. My fellow councillors, where we are represented, ask the same."

She said tension between NFP and ANC councillors in a number of municipalities in the province had been ironed out.

"We have managed to sort the problems out. We are planning to have a meeting of leaders of both organisations so that we can talk about challenges."

- SAPA