As election day closes in, political parties ramp up efforts to win support in KZN

DURBAN - With just over two weeks to go before the country takes to the voting booths, political parties have taken to communities across KwaZulu-Natal in a bid to win over the hearts and minds of the province.

Both the African National Congress (ANC) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)'s general secretaries are engaging with party members and residents in the eThekwini area.

Fikile Mbalula has been conducting door-to-door engagements while the red berets' Marshall Dlamini has been assessing his party's performance.

The governing ANC's president, Cyril Ramaphosa, will also be in KZN this weekend, along with the Democratic Alliance (DA)'s John Steenhuisen, while the EFF's Julius Malema is expected in the province next week.

CHANGING TUNE

The song, Wenzeni u Zuma, was first used against former director of public prosecutions, Bulelani Ncguka, and was also sung about former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela and the EFF's Julius Malema.

All of this in defence of former president, Jacob Zuma.

But today, a drive through the rolling hills of KZN and in some of the ANC's strongholds, adaptations have been made to the song.

This as the party tries to underplay the impact of Zuma's uMkhonto weSizwe Party, which is being positioned as a potential threat to all established parties in this province.

The ANC's top brass has been on the ground, across various regions, giving away kangas and T-shirts, while calling for voters to mark an X next to their party on all three ballots later this month.

Meanwhile, the red berets' Dlamini has been assessing the EFF's campaign as the party targets 1 million votes in the upcoming polls.