ACDP wants to seize bigger slice of KZN vote, pledges to aid Langa old age home

The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), which has four seats in the National Assembly, is one of several parties eyeing KwaZulu-Natal as fertile ground for expansion.

The party’s president, Kenneth Meshoe, is confident that after 29 May, the ACDP will rank among the top five parties in SA. It is currently the sixth-largest party in the National Assembly and last saw growth in the 2004 general election.

KZN, the province with the second-largest number of registered voters, is where political parties have been focusing their fiercest efforts to make gains in the upcoming elections.

Read more in Daily Maverick: KZN a fierce battleground for biggest slice of political cake as final countdown to 29 May poll begins

Meshoe was campaigning in Cape Town on Thursday, visiting children’s and old age homes in Langa and Khayelitsha.

“Surprisingly, we are looking to grow in KZN when looking at our projections,” he told Daily Maverick.

“Obviously, the Western Cape and Gauteng are the other provinces where we are expecting growth. The people of KZN want change and they are open to listening to every party. The levels of intolerance have dropped, we can go into any place without fearing that we might be attacked.”

Nabeelah Shabbir and Jullie Posetti from the International Center for Journalists, who accompanied Daily Maverick for the day, meet ACDP leader Rev Kenneth Meshoe during his campaign trail in Langa, Cape Town. 23 May 2024. (Photo: Velani Ludidi/Daily Maverick)

Read more in Daily Maverick: ‘We’ve heard SA’s SOS’ — five key takeaways from the ACDP’s manifesto launch

The ACDP is a member of the Multi-Party Charter, a formation of opposition parties that have come together to pledge to share power as a coalition if they cumulatively beat the ANC in the polls.

Read more in Daily Maverick: How the Multi-Party Charter could make history at the 2024 polls

Meshoe did not want to concede that their support for Israel might harm their chances in the polls. He said Israel had a right to exist.

“Everyone is talking about good neighbourliness, living side by side in peace. It is not possible because one wants to finish the other. The war [in Gaza] was started by Hamas on October 7 and Hamas has refused to release the hostages.”

Meshoe said if given the chance to govern, the party would severely punish those who break the law so that others think twice before committing crimes.

Nobuntu Nkanyuza founder of Ikhaya Labantu and Mick Plüddemann the board chairperson. ACDP promised to pay their monthly electricity bill and negotiate a reduced rent for the facility which looks after frail elderly people.  (Photo: Velani Ludidi/Daily Maverick)

The party visited Ikhaya Labantu in Langa, a home for 34 frail and disabled older people whose families cannot take care of them for various reasons, including health challenges. The party told the owner that it would pay for the centre’s electricity and negotiate for a lower rent.

Ikhaya Labantu has been operating for more than a decade and is still on a journey to get registered with the Department of Social Development to be eligible for government funding. It runs on donations and grants from the elderly people staying there.

80-year-old Nobuntu Nkanyuza, founder of Ikhaya Labantu, a home for the frail, welcomed the promises to pay her electricity bill by ACDP. 23 May 2024. (Photo: Velani Ludidi/Daily Maverick)

“I appreciate every little help we get from organisations,” said 80-year-old Nobuntu Nkanyuza, the founder of Ikhaya Labantu. “It is difficult to run this place without consistent funding. Every person that comes and listens to us, we always pray that they get the strength to support us.”

A handful of people who came to listen to Meshoe in Khayelitsha said they did not know about the party and its policies but were willing to listen. Meshoe promised to improve the party’s visibility. DM