Durban - Big wigs of the major political parties descended on KwaZulu-Natal at the weekend to whip up support for their organisations ahead of the municipal elections in August.
EFF leader, Julius Malema, took to Newcastle for the party’s Freedom Charter rally on Sunday.
President Jacob Zuma addressed an ANC Youth league rally and also launched the election countdown watch at the party’s provincial offices in Durban on Saturday.
DA leader, Mmusi Maimane, was on a walkabout in Verulam on Saturday, and was in Durban for the party’s federal council meeting.
Addressing thousands of EFF supporters, Malema could not hide his delight with the huge turnout at Sunday's event.
“We appreciate your support, we don’t take it for granted,” Malema said.
His recent visit to Richards Bay was marred by attempts by the ruling party to disrupt their event.
Malema also said the EFF was the only party that was continuing with the Freedom Charter, while others were continuing with #Zuma Charter – which was about stealing.
He also condemned the use of tribalism to reject Thoko Didiza as an ANC mayoral candidate in Tshwane on the basis of her Zulu-ness.
Malema said anyone could be a mayor anywhere in the country because South Africa belonged to all.
However, Malema also said people should stop saying they voted for Zuma because of his ethnic group, as that did nothing for them.
“Vote for an agenda, for ideas. We loved Luthuli, Lembede, Biko, not because of the language they spoke, but because they were prepared to die for the struggle.”
Addressing the ANC Youth league rally, Zuma said the league had the future in their hands, and they had the power in their hands to lead the country to prosperity.
“ANC needs every young person. Go out and recruit young people.”
Zuma also said the ruling party cared about the future of the country, hence it invested in the youth and education.
“ANC listens to the voice of young people. ANC accepted that 20% of our candidates must be young people,” he said.
He also said there was a need to promote unity in the ANC, fight nepotism and tribalism, promote stability and to end violent protests.
Meanwhile, the ANC in KZN summoned all its candidate ward councillors to a meeting at the University of KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday afternoon.
ANC provincial chairman, Sihle Zikalala, said it was now time for ANC regions and branches to go to the community to introduce the ward candidate councillors.
“It is now time for us to work flat out and campaign in our wards and unpack our manifesto to the communities. We want our councillors to be humble people who serve our people at all times,” Zikalala said.
He also said the ANC councillors should ensure that all municipalities did not have corruption.
“The local government must ensure it is leading in the economic transformation. ANC councillors must know how to conduct themselves,” Zikalala said.
He reminded the ANC candidate councillors that they were not councillors until after elections.
“We have not won elections, and that means we need to work harder,” he said.