Acting ANC spokesperson Zuko Godlimpi. | Timothy Bernard/ Independent Newspapers
Durban — The ANC has engaged in a massive charm offensive to mend the broken relations between the party and King Misuzulu KaZwelithini and the royal house.
Following KwaZulu-Natal provincial ANC chairperson Siboniso Duma’s apology to King Misuzulu last week, ANC acting spokesperson Zuko Godlimpi said the party would continue to work with the royal household.
The ANC is also trying to regain lost ground ahead of the 2026 local government elections amid the electoral decline the party suffered during the May 29 elections.
“We applaud the ANC provincial chairperson in KZN (Duma) for going and apologising to the king. We will continue to work with the royal household,” said Godlimpi.
The ANC spectacularly dropped from 54% support to 18% in KwaZulu-Natal and also lost its majority nationally after sliding from 57% to 40%.
Godlimpi conceded that Duma grabbing the microphone from the hands of Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi – an incident that went viral on social media – in March during the 110th anniversary of King Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo in KwaCeza, in the north of KwaZulu-Natal, was part of the reason for the party’s decline.
“That is part of the reason we lost votes during the elections. We will continue to work with all the royal households throughout the country,” said Godlimpi.
After the bruising elections in May, the ANC has embarked on a post-election assessment, which has seen the ANC national executive committee (NEC) assembling a team of leaders, including former KZN premier Sbu Ndebele, to hatch a plan to revive the party in the province.
The Daily News understands that the ANC was also planning a follow-up visit led by secretary-general Fikile Mbalula to King Misuzulu.
This is part of the ANC’s strategy ahead of the 2026 local polls in a bid to woo voters.
Apologising to King Misuzulu on Thursday, Duma said: “I apologise wholeheartedly, Your Majesty (King Misuzulu). I come to you today to apologise unconditionally and offer cattle as a sign of my sincere regret. We respect His Majesty. We have worked well, and he has always welcomed us with warm hands, all the time.”
Duma opened the floodgates of criticism after he grabbed the microphone from Buthelezi in an event also attended by ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa.
It started when Buthelezi was about to introduce King Misuzulu when Duma, irked by Buthelezi’s utterances, stood up and dramatically grabbed the microphone from him, leading to howling from the crowd.
At the time, tempers were already flaring as the country was heading to the high-stakes May 29 elections.
Duma and Buthelezi have already ironed out matters as their parties – in July, the IFP and ANC were part of the Government of National Unity (GNU), and also the Government of Provincial Unity in KZN after the province was hung after the elections.
After the elections, IFP KZN chairperson and Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli appointed Duma as MEC for Transport and Human Settlements and Buthelezi as MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta).
King Misuzulu, who lashed out at Duma at the time of the incident, accepted his apology.
“We all learn from our mistakes. We are now starting on a clean slate. Your apology is accepted,” said the king.
King Misuzulu also pleaded with the provincial government to work with the Ingonyama Trust and Amakhosi “to ensure that communities benefit from mining operations for the extraction of a range of mineral products, including lime, slate, titanium, granite and sandstone quarries for construction materials”.
King Misuzulu added: “We must also promote efficient and transparent resource allocations towards construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of roads in deep rural areas.”
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