2024 General Election: ANC’s Gwede Mantashe Draws Sharp Criticism Over MK Party Tribalism Remark

• Netizens have criticised ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe for attributing the MK Party’s gains in the election to tribalism
• Mantashe told reporters at the IEC’s national results centre that tribalism was a backward and fleeting style of politics
• Social media users said Mantashe’s comment reflected the ruling party’s arrogance and failure to self-reflect

Zingisa Chirwa is an experienced Briefly News journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa, who has covered politics and current affairs on the radio for over 15 years.

Many social media users said Gwede Mantashe attributing the MK Party's gains to tribalism indicated the ANC's arrogance and failure to self-reflect.

ANC attributes the MK Party’s gains to tribalism

Mantashe said the MK Party’s achievement in KwaZulu-Natal could be discounted as Zulu tribalism. The ANC chairperson’s comments were in response to the newly formed party’s performance in the General Election.

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In a clip shared by @Shonny_SA on X, Mantashe said tribalism was a fleeting style of politics:

“Tribalism is a backward form of politics. It is having [sic] its time frame; it disappears. So if that is the factor, I am not worried about it.”

Mantashe commented while engaging the media at the IEC’s national results centre in Johannesburg on 30 May 2024.

South Africans disagree with Gwede Mantashe

Many netizens accused Mantashe of being conceited and not acknowledging the faults of the ruling party.

@silabelamxolisi said:

“They cannot even see what they did wrong. They have repeatedly failed KZN. Look at the state of CBDs. Water crisis and crime, to name a few. Ay sikhathele amamenemene [We are tired of liars.]”

@LeubaD30992 asked:

“Where was the Zulu tribalism when Mandela, Mbeki and Ramaphosa became presidents?”

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2024 General Election: IEC faces criticism despite 70% voter turnout prediction

@MoHappee wondered:

“So why isn't the EFF making a killing in Limpopo?”

@Real_MartinWise agreed with Mantashe:

“But he's right.”

@sakhi_b1 stated:

“The very same reason people are rejecting the ANC; they are very arrogant.”

IEC faces criticism despite 70% voter turnout prediction

Briefly News reported that many South Africans complained that they could not vote in the 2024 General Election.

Despite this, the IEC predicted that voter turnout would surpass 70%, which is higher than the 66,06% achieved in 2019.

Many social media users criticised the IEC’s election process, with some claiming that they waited too long to vote or were turned away.

Source: Briefly News