The MK party is said to be at an advanced stage of negotiations with the EFF and the NFP to form a coalition in KwaZulu-Natal.
TimesLIVE Premium understands that the Jacob Zuma-led party is expected to have back-to-back meetings with its two potential coalition partners this week with an announcement of a government expected to come before the first sitting of parliament.
The MK Party has deployed former Sars boss Tom Moyane and former police minister Nathi Nhleko to form of part join its negotiating team.
The two men are part of the team led by its secretary-general Sihle Ngubane. The MK task team met the ANC last week for preliminary engagements with an intention to have another meeting on Monday.
However, two ANC national executive committee (NEC) members said the two parties had not had a second meeting.
An insider privy to the talks said the MK party had chosen to meet the National Freedom Party (NFP) and the EFF to solidify an agreement before the window to form a coalition lapses. Parties have less than a week to form a coalition and constitute a government.
NFP secretary-general Canaan Mdletshe said the party had engaged with former president Zuma with an expectation to meet the party's team of negotiators this week.
“These are the very progressive developments, considering the electorate mandated, through their votes, that the MK party must be a majority player in the formation of the government of KZN,” he said.
Mdletshe added that while the NFP had not engaged with the EFF, “one can safely say that we have a cosy relationship with the party, especially in KZN”.
Mdletshe said the NFP remains committed to the implementation of the will of the people of KwaZulu-Natal who made it “crystal clear through their votes that they no longer want to be led by the ANC”.
“As we continuously engage with other parties, we are clear in our mindset as to what the people of KZN want. We will negotiate having a clear mindset that this is not about the NFP but about the interests of the people of the province,” he said.
The NFP leader said the party had not received an invitation to go into negotiations with the DA.
“We are glad because we have no intentions of working with a party that has demonstrated that it does not care much about blacks,” he said.
The NFP has developed a guiding document for its negotiations. It said it would not compromise on the creation of jobs and economic stability through prioritising blacks, who have always been marginalised.
“Any party that is against affirmative action will not be considered by the NFP,” Mdletshe said.
The MK party needs five seats to constitute a government in KZN. Even with the EFF and NFP, the Zuma-led party would still need the buy-in of another party to gain the much-needed majority to form a government.
TimesLIVE Premium understands that meetings with the NFP were initiated by MK after it failed to agree on a coalition with the IFP.
One insider said that the IFP was “shown the door” by the former president during informal talks.
The insider said the IFP negotiated for control of key portfolios including transport, Cogta and speaker.
IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa had previously told the media the IFP had initiated informal talks with MK party with plans for a formal meeting.
Party spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa, however, told Sunday Times this week the party had not met MK.
“There is currently no meeting scheduled. Further, we remain unclear on the MK party's stance on the results,” he said. This was in reference to the MK party saying it would be taking the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) to court over election rigging allegations, he said.
Sunday Times previously reported that the IFP was torn through factional lines over which party it would choose to enter into a coalition.
The differences were expected to play themselves out at the party’s NEC meeting on Monday.
The IFP is said to have had two meetings with the DA to deliberate on the Government of National Unity (GNU).
Insiders said the DA and IFP are hoping to enter into a GNU arrangement with the ANC with the exclusion of the EFF, PA and MK party.
The DA held its federal council meeting on Monday after extensive meetings with the ANC.
In a statement on Monday afternoon, DA spokesperson Solly Malatsi said the federal council reaffirmed the mandate of the negotiating team.
Malatsi said meetings with other parties would resume on Tuesday.
However, one insider said some members of the federal council were not convinced with the GNU model calling for the party to insist on a supply and confidence model during meetings with the ANC. The DA is understood to have extended its federal council meeting until Tuesday to conclude deliberations.
