Durban - The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal is not worried about Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s adverse findings against President Jacob Zuma – the party says it even expects to increase its majority in the province.
Speaking after campaigning in the Durban city centre, ANC provincial chairman Senzo Mchunu said not many members of the ANC were concerned about the report.
He said only one person among those he had interacted with had raised the issue of the report. “In fact he had raised it to say we should focus on voting on May 7.”
Mchunu added that the ANC was also not bothered about some of the objections against Zuma running as a candidate for public office.
At least two organisations - The Institute for Accountability in Southern Africa and agricultural union Tau SA – have lodged objections with the electoral commission against Zuma’s inclusion in the ANC list. But Mchunu said: “They can write as many letters as they want, we are not worried.”
The ANC in KZN is aiming for a 70 percent win and to be instrumental in boosting the party’s overall poll standings on May 7.
On Wednesday, the ANC launched the countdown timer which is placed outside the provincial office in Stalwart Simelane (Stanger) Street.
The ANC leadership said it would be pulling out all the stops in the next 34 days before the elections. This would include deploying senior leaders - including Zuma and the top six officials – to all parts of the province for the campaign.
The campaign would include deploying its 60 000 volunteers to all parts of the province. “It is important that 35 days before the elections, we move into higher gear. Going into an election is like going into war,” Mchunu said, emphasising that hard work lay ahead for his party.
He told members to reach out to each and every potential voter in KZN, saying the ANC should dominate the campaign space. “We need to flush out the opposition… they must see us coming in all villages.”
The ANC leadership also turned up its verbal attacks on the DA. The ANC chairman in eThekwini, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, accused party supporters of duping their domestic workers and indoctrinating them into joining the DA.
Mchunu said the ANC had also received information that the DA was using “unconventional and immoral” ways to target schoolchildren. He said pupils at some schools were even being made to write non-academic essays which demonised the ANC.
But DA provincial leader Sizwe Mchunu denied these claims, saying the ANC was making he allegations because it had run out of things to offer the electorate.
“The people of KwaZulu-Natal and South African cannot be fooled. If us telling people about their R246 million spent on Zuma’s house is indoctrination, so be it,” the DA leader said.
Daily News