Port Elizabeth - In a final attempt to encourage residents of Nelson Mandela Bay to go out and vote in the local government elections, the ANC is pulling out all the stops by deployed party agents to the streets.
At a state of readiness press briefing on Tuesday, ANC Provincial Chairperson Phumulo Masualle weighed in on the city’s success over the past year under the leadership of the party’s mayoral candidate Danny Jordaan.
Masualle said that it was highly unlikely that the ANC would not win an outright majority in what is shaping up as arguably the most hotly contested local government elections in a democratic South Africa.
In the 2011 local government polls, the ANC received 51.9% of the vote, the Democratic Alliance (DA) 40.2%, while the United Democratic Movement (UDM) received just 0.5%.
“In the last 12 months we have placed this metro in a much healthier state and this is what we are getting out a great sense of hope. We have people coming back into the ANC fold making all types of assertions of the other side, so we are very confident we are going to win,” said Masualle .
He dismissed talk of the party placing spies in the ranks of the opposition and said assertions were made by people who underwent “sad experiences” in the DA.
“Who do you see in majority of [the DA’s] marches? It’s predominantly black people. And who do you see in leadership positions? It’s predominantly white people. By making that acknowledgement, it is a fact, it is not being racist,” he said.
Masualle added that in the “unlikely event” that the party should not win Nelson Mandela Bay, the ANC would be gracious in respecting the will of the people.
ANC regional task team convener, Vuyani Limba, rubbished any claims of the ANC considering a coalition government post the elections.
“There is no plan for coalitions, this is not a stokvel or lottery. This Nelson Mandela Bay belongs to the ancestors of the ANC such as Govan Mbeki, Raymond Mhlaba and come tomorrow [Wednesday], the ANC will win with a majority,” said Limba.
Limba said the ANC had ensured that party agents were on the ground and would go door-to-door to encourage residents to vote. He was confident the party would win with a 65 percent majority.
He added that the ANC had confidence in the IEC to deliver smooth, peaceful, free and fair elections in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro.
“We would like to encourage party agents and supporters to adhere to electoral code – working towards free and fair elections. This will assist voters to express their democratic right to vote for a party of their choice.
“The Nelson Mandela Bay Metro has been touted as hotly contested and we call on voters and parties to ensure that IEC officials execute their duties without fear or favour. We call on voters and ANC supporters, party agents together with the IEC to be vigilant to ensure that the highest standards are maintained,” said Limba.
ANC mayoral candidate Danny Jordaan said that the people who counted would speak on Wednesday through their vote, adding that it was not about promises being made or surveys being done, but rather about people on the streets celebrating their government.
“We are the only party in the metro when we went to Dan Qeqe stadium in the rain and bitter cold and 30,000 people filled that stadium.”
He laughed at the DA who he said had managed to secure around 5,000 supporters at the party’s mini rally held at the Missionvale Campus recently.
Jordaan said the ANC would win Nelson Mandela Bay because the DA did not understand the history of South Africa.
“They claim Nelson Mandela as their hero, it’s a distortion. Madiba’s proposals arise out of the struggle. The ANC has a historic right to say we won the first [democratic] election, that the constitution is a product of the ANC. Now anyone else comes along and claims it without reference. Should the ANC be quiet? Because that is what Mmusi Maimane and the DA did,” said Jordaan.
African News Agency