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IOL News
2 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Unlocking opportunities: New digital visas for film professionals in Cape Town
Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, on Wednesday announced the launch of two further digital visa initiatives in a bid to support the rollout of the pending Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system, and building on the success of the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS). Image: Parliament of SA Cape Town's burgeoning film industry has been given a boost through the introduction of new fast-track digital visas for visitors to South Africa in the film and exhibitions sector. The two new categories of visas have been announced by Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber. The announcement has been welcomed by the Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID) which works with the City of Cape Town to ensure players in these sectors are catered for in the city's burgeoning film industry. The City has hailed the move, with mayco member for Economic Growth, James Vos, saying it will be a game-changer. The first initiative, called STAGES – short for Screen Talent and Global Entertainment Scheme – will use digitisation to simplify visa access for film production companies. The second programme is the Meetings, Events, Exhibitions and Tourism Scheme (MEETS), which will enable international attendees at conferences, exhibitions, and global events to apply for visas entirely online. "This will be a game-changer for Cape Town and South Africa's film industry, opening the door to more productions, investment, and, importantly, job opportunities. "As part of our continued drive to build a thriving visitor economy, I am currently consulting stakeholders across the tourism, hospitality, and aviation sectors to shape a bold new tourism strategy for Cape Town, Vos said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ From November 2023 to late June 2024, film crews booked over 59,000 bed nights, generating nearly R148 million for the hospitality industry. With major productions such as Tomb Raider, One Piece, and Avengers: Age of Ultron already filmed in the city, Cape Town's growing appeal as a filming destination has generated substantial economic spinoffs for the CBD's hospitality industry, CCID said. Grant Elliott, Chief Operating Officer of Thibault Investments and deputy chairperson of the CCID, believes the move will have numerous spin-offs for other sectors. 'These reforms will remove long-standing barriers and open the door for even greater investment into Cape Town's creative economy — with knock-on benefits for local hospitality, retail, and small businesses.' He added that the City's initiatives, combined with progressive visa policies such as the digital nomad visa, which allows applicants to live and work remotely in South Africa for a period of 36 months, is likely to deepen Cape Town's status as a year-round destination for creatives. According to the City of Cape Town's Film Permits Office, a total of 550 production shoots took place in the CBD from January 1 to May 26. For every rand spent on film production, an additional R2.50 is generated in the local economy, CCID added. In addition to this, from November 2023 to June 2024, a total of 26 573 jobs were created for freelance crew and performers. In the 2023/2024 financial year, the Cape Town Film Permit Office issued 4 757 permits – 22% more than the previous year. The CCID said it works in partnership with the City to provide security and cleaning services, among others, to maintain and manage the inner city. 'Cape Town has all the right ingredients — from stunning locations and skilled talent to a responsive city administration and vibrant hospitality scene, ' Elliott said. Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel. Cape Argus
IOL News
16-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
How illegal immigration and cross-border crime threaten South Africa's future
Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, whose department is at the centre of enforcing immigration laws. Image: Parliament of SA South Africa is being hollowed out by illegal immigration and cross-border crimes such as human trafficking, drug smuggling, arms trafficking, vehicle theft, livestock theft, and illicit goods, among others, stemming from porous borders, according to experts. However, the biggest source of porosity comes from state actors, such as immigration officers, the military, and border policing, who are being corrupted and taking bribes from criminal syndicates, and allowing illicit goods into the country. Willem Els, a senior training coordinator in the ENACT organised crime programme at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), said South African borders are some of the most porous in the region, and there is a whole illicit economy centred around illegal immigration that is being facilitated by the porosity of the country's borders. 'In South Africa, our land borders are extremely porous. Illegal cigarettes, counterfeit goods, and drugs mostly come through official borders at the Lebombo bridge and so on. At the ports of entry in airports, some immigration officials are corrupt and taking bribes from criminal syndicates. For instance, when people come into the country, they have passports. And whenever you have a passport, it must be scanned and registered in the system to record that someone has come to South Africa. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading 'But the corrupt officials take the passport and stamp it. After taking the money, they don't scan the passport, which leaves the country with no record of that person entering South Africa. So, it is that type of corruption that is eating away our livelihood because of the crime issue that is affecting everyone, and it's really hurting the economy,' Els said. He warned that the illicit economy is growing so large that it might one day even exceed the formal economy in some areas, which would harm the country and the economy because no taxes are being collected from the illicit economy. The tax can only be collected from the formal economy. The taxes are paid for the poor and other services. These people are coming here and benefiting from everything without contributing, and they are taking the money out of South Africa and sending it back to their countries. This is draining our economy, Els said. 'Also, if you are a terrorist and you are meant to be on the watch list of the Interpol, etc., you are not going to use a normal port to run, you are going to cross the river. So, we don't know how many terrorists are in South Africa, because we don't have the record of that. The only way you can have records is if records are officially captured. 'If you look at the illegal migration people, many of them are of military age. The Ethiopians, for instance, quite a few of them were arrested in South Africa in the past year, more than 100 at the time. The challenge is that these individuals pose a threat due to their military background. 'We know nothing about them because it has not been captured. So it creates a real uncertainty environment within law enforcement if we don't have all those facts. It's creating challenges for us because we cannot pre-empt any threat, and also when we have to react to a threat, we still don't know what we are faced with,' Els said. He added that what has been found with the arrested illegal immigrants, especially from Ethiopia, is that it takes them up to three months, sometimes three years, to reach South Africa. Some walk to South Africa. Some pay up to $12 000 (just over R200,000) to the syndicates to smuggle them into South Africa. And then just before they reach South Africa, they are ambushed and all their passports and their money and everything stolen, and then they are trafficked into South Africa, and sold by these criminal syndicates to work in illicit jobs or forced into the sex industry. In an African context, many illegal migrants come from Zimbabwe, but some originate from Sudan, Somalia, and other countries. So, we can't just look at the Southern African Development Community; we have to look at the rest of Africa and enforce our regional cooperation with them to curb this problem. So, there is a whole illicit economy centred around illegal immigration, but all that is being facilitated by the porosity of our borders, he added. According to the recent Numbeo Crime Index, South Africa is the most crime-affected country on the African continent, with a crime index score of 74.7, and ranked fifth in the world. Els said criminality is through the roof, and it is also reflected in the crime statistics. 'So we are not saying that all the crimes are committed by foreigners, but when you are South African, you have an ID or driver's licence, and your biometrics are captured, including fingerprints. However, with the undocumented foreign nationals, we don't have anything. Whenever the police are investigating, they use physical evidence like fingerprints or something like that, but with undocumented foreigners, police have got nowhere to go, and that is a problem when investigating criminal cases where foreign nationals are involved,' he said. But why such a large influx of illegal immigrants to South Africa? Els said most people on the African continent see South Africa as the land of milk and honey, and yet 'we' all know what the situation is with the jobs and unemployment in this country. 'South Africa has got the infrastructure, a developed system, and all things that make it conducive for growth for people who work to make money, and also for the criminals to come to South Africa and exploit our systems to launder money, etc. 'The problem with illegal immigrants is that once the people are in the country, they become that country's problem. If we cannot prevent them from coming into the country, it is now entirely our problem. So, we allow them to become our challenges, and then this costs money, costs effort,' he said. Els added that political will is crucial to stop porous borders, along with a better coordination strategy with other state entities, sufficient budget, capacity building (human capital, ensuring people are trained), and investing in technology. 'We need to tackle corruption as the number one enemy. We can have a comprehensive counter-corruption strategy with consequences; people found guilty of corruption must be fired or receive a warning. We should come down hard on corruption. There should be consequences. Corrupt officials should serve jail time,' Els said. He added that Dr Leon Schreiber, minister of Home Affairs, has demonstrated political will to curb these problems since taking office over a year ago. Actions such as Operation New Broom have been promising through utilising technology for enhanced enforcement of immigration issues, digitisation, and biometric data, while not circumventing suspects' rights. He said that it will take a long time, effort, money, and hard work to turn the ship around because the problem has reached high levels. Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, founder of March and March civic organisation, whose members have embarked on nationwide protests blocking illegal immigrants from accessing services in public healthcare facilities, saying that the government is not prioritising its citizens, said the government is not serious about fighting illegal immigration. The South African Human Rights Commission criticised the protests. 'If the government is serious about fighting illegal immigration, it must seal the borders and do mass deportations. One thing that is going to make sure that everyone who is not here has no opportunity to abuse our system and our country is to close all the taps, in terms of schooling, medical care, jobs, and all other services. South Africans must take priority. 'Illegal immigrants must go to the private sector healthcare facilities, pay, and take care of themselves. If this is to be effected, there will never be people rushing to this country if they know that there are strict laws. The government must also put stringent laws on employers who are employing undocumented foreigners, and there must be a hefty penalty, like taking away operating licences, jail time, etc,' Ngobese-Zuma said. The Institute of Race Relations (IRR) called on the government to get back to basics, secure its borders, and protect the country from external forces, as porous borders are a symptom of the abdication of this responsibility. Makone Maja, IRR's strategic engagements manager, said South Africans' frustrations with the presence of illegal immigrants seem to be closely linked to the lack of economic growth, job opportunities, and improvement in government services. 'The mounting pressures on social services from health to education, and the sense from disgruntled citizens that more services would be catered to them if they weren't being shared with illegal foreigners. 'The government's neglect of enforcing the immigration laws has also led to this frustration and the itch for communities to take the law into their own hands. This also need not be. Any democratic government's first duty is to secure its borders and protect its country from external forces,' Maja said. A request for comment was sent to the Department of Home Affairs over a week ago, but there was no response. Reminders were also ignored.
IOL News
10-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Hospitality industry says South Africa's new visa schemes set to boost film and meetings sectors
Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, on Wednesday announced the launch of two further digital visa initiatives in a bid to support the rollout of the pending Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system, and building on the success of the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS). Image: Parliament of SA The Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa (Fedhasa) has heralded a transformative move as two innovative visa categories, specifically tailored for the film and meetings sectors, are set to take effect. This comes after the Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, on Wednesday announced the launch of two further digital visa initiatives in a bid to support the rollout of the pending Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system, and building on the success of the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS). The Screen Talent and Global Entertainment Scheme (STAGES) will simplify visa access for film production companies as the outdated and paper-based systems hinder the industry. "In just one example, a major Netflix production from Mexico was lost due to visa delays, costing South Africa an estimated R400 million in lost income," Schreiber said. "But thanks to STAGES, companies will now be able to apply via a dedicated online portal, receive visa decisions within hours, and will no longer be required to visit missions in-person abroad." The Meetings, Events, Exhibitions and Tourism Scheme (MEETS) will see visa applications for international attendees at major conferences, sporting events, exhibitions and other international events processed entirely online, with rapid turnaround times. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ "[MEETS] will support events such as the SA20 cricket tournament and the World Rugby Sevens, allowing global talent to arrive without delay and injecting further growth into our economy," Schreiber said. "Together, STAGES and MEETS are set to transform South Africa into a leading destination for film, tourism, sports, arts, culture and events – all sectors with enormous potential for growth and job creation." Fedhasa on Thursday said STAGES and MEETS were promising to overhaul the outdated visa system that has hindered growth and profitability in South Africa's entertainment and business tourism industries. Rosemary Anderson, National Chairperson of Fedhasa, expressed her enthusiasm about these changes. "It is refreshing and heartwarming to witness a Minister who so clearly understands, in practical terms, how our outdated visa regime has been costing South Africa dearly," Anderson said. "The STAGES and MEETS visa categories are not just policy reforms – they are powerful economic enablers that signal to the world that South Africa istruly open for business." Anderson said the global film landscape served as an illustrative blueprint for the potential success of South Africa's updated policies. For instance, she said Canada had achieved remarkable financial gains from its streamlined visa processes, generating C$11.3 billion (approximately R155 billion) in direct film and TV production spending in just the last year. Anderson said that similarly, Georgia has experienced a 250% surge in foreign film productions over the past five years, primarily driven by its efficient visa and incentive initiatives. "South Africa, with its stunning locations and skilled crews, is exceptionally well-placed to emulate this success. In 2019/2020, our film sector contributed R7.2bn to the economy – a figure which has since declined due to both COVID-19 and administrative delays. These new reforms give us every reason to believe we can not only recover but soar," Anderson said. The MEETS visa is projected to unlock profound value in South Africa's MICE sector, which generated R120bn in 2023, with ample possibilities for future growth. Countries such as Singapore and Thailand have successfully benefited from streamlined visa access, positioning themselves as global MICE leaders. Singapore's industry generated S$3.8 billion (R53bn) in 2022, while Thailand attracted over 1.3 million MICE travellers in 2023.
IOL News
10-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Finally! SA expats to get smart IDs abroad as Home Affairs unveils long-awaited digital breakthrough
Home Affairs Minister Dr. Leon Schreiber says new overseas facilities will cut smart ID and passport wait times to five weeks, bringing long-awaited relief to South Africans living abroad. Image: Parliament of SA Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber says his department has 'heard the pleas for help from South Africans living abroad' who currently face long delays when applying for smart IDs and passports. Delivering his Budget Vote speech on Wednesday, Schreiber announced that the department will begin rolling out new facilities abroad before the end of this month, with a five-week turnaround time for document processing. 'We have heard the pleas for help from South Africans living abroad who currently often may wait more than a year just to get a new smart ID or passport,' said Schreiber. 'I am pleased to announce that by the end of this month, we will begin to launch new facilities abroad to assist South Africans living overseas.' He said the initiative will start in Australia, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates, with France, Germany, and the Netherlands following later this year, and North America in early 2026. 'These new facilities will ensure a five-week turnaround time for IDs and passports,' the minister confirmed. This move is part of Schreiber's broader 'Home Affairs at Home' reform vision aimed at transforming how citizens access government services. Home Affairs has heard the pleas of South Africans living abroad, who have struggled for years to renew their passports and IDs, often waiting 12+ months just to get a new passport. From end July, we're launching new facilities abroad - with a turnaround time of just 5 weeks.… — Leon Schreiber (@Leon_Schreib) July 9, 2025 Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ ''Our ultimate aim, as I said, is to deliver Home Affairs at home, which will enable every South African, no matter where you are in the country or in the world, to obtain services from your government online,' he said. Schreiber emphasised that these efforts mark the beginning of an ambitious journey towards a fully digital ID system. 'The civic service reforms we will deliver during the current financial year are all part of laying the foundation for our ambitious plan to create South Africa's first ever digital ID system.' He added that this digital-first approach will eventually allow citizens to order IDs and passports through banking apps and even have them delivered to their homes using advanced facial recognition technology. According to Schreiber, the department has made visible progress in the past year, including the delivery of nearly 3.6 million smart IDs, which he considers a record. 'If this is just some of what Home Affairs could do in one year, just imagine what we can do in five,' he said. He also announced plans to digitise the application process for South Africans in-country by expanding smart ID and passport services to 100 additional bank branches this year, with the goal of reaching 1,000 over the medium term. A new home delivery option using facial recognition is also in the pipeline 'It won't be long until you can log into your bank app and see the Home Affairs logo sitting there, ready for you to interact and order your documents remotely,' Schreiber said. Schreiber also noted the current gap in service availability at home. 'Many people do not realise that 101 out of the 348 existing Home Affairs offices still do not even have the capability to issue smart IDs,' he said. He added that the department plans to scale up its partnership with banks to expand access. To support these sweeping reforms, Schreiber tabled a budget of R11 billion for Home Affairs for the 2025/26 financial year. This includes a baseline increase of R321 million this year, R1.2 billion in 2026/27, and R369 million in 2027/28. The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) will receive R2.1 billion this year, including an additional R885 million to prepare for the 2026 local government elections, he said. The Government Printing Works is allocated R1.8 billion for this year. However, Schreiber cautioned that the Border Management Authority (BMA) remains underfunded, despite its key role in digital transformation and immigration security. 'The BMA budget will only increase from R1.7 billion to R1.9 billion over the next three years, which, as I say, remains insufficient,' he said. 'We will continue to work on self-financing and finding alternative revenue sources for the BMA to unlock greater investment and further accelerate our digital transformation efforts.' Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel IOL Politics
IOL News
11-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Malema looks to revive support base in KZN with Youth Day rally
EFF leader Julius Malema EFF is expected to address supporters in Durban on Sunday at the party's national Youth Day event. Image: Phando Jikelo/Parliament of SA EFF leader Julius Malema is expected to address supporters in Durban on Sunday at the party's national Youth Day event as it looks to rejuvenate its support in KwaZulu-Natal ahead of next year's local government elections. The event will be held at King Zwelithini stadium in Umlazi, with the EFF saying it wants to pay a special focus on Umlazi to increase its seats in the eThekwini Municipality. The party has tasked its eThekwini councillor Thami Xuma, who also chairs the Municipal Public Accounts Committee, to work on the ground in Umlazi to ensure that the party retains the almost 28,000 votes it received in the 2021 local government elections. Umlazi is the province's biggest township, with a population of close to a million. On Tuesday Xuma said that the party had identified Umlazi as a potential area where it can get more votes to boost its numbers in eThekwini in next year's local government elections. He said the party wants to do well in all municipalities in the province, but eThekwini was crucial as it is the only Metro and has a big budget. 'Umlazi is the biggest township in the province so as a pro-poor party we have decided to target the township to sell our pro-poor policies. There are many people who still live in poor conditions in the informal settlements here, those are our people who resonate with our pro-poor policies so I will be here until elections next year engaging with them and listening to their problems,' said Xuma. Out of 168, 000 votes the party received in the 2021 elections which gave the party 24 seats in eThekwini, Umlazi contributed about 30 000. However, in last year's general election, the party dropped to 11,000 votes in eThekwini. The party performed badly in last year's national general elections which prompted the national leadership to sack the provincial secretary Nkululeko Ngubane and provincial treasurer Wakeni Chuma last month. Ngubane was replaced by Vukani Ndlovu who is also a councillor in eThekwini. A source in the party said its poor performance last year was attributed to the lack of leadership that resonated and appealed to traditionalists - other parties like the MK Party and the IFP has this in Jacob Zuma and Velenkosini Hlabisa respectively. 'This is a very complex province. You may have good policies here, however, that alone will not help because people here also look at your personality and see whether you are part of them or not,' said a source. [email protected]
