#Elections2019: Parties push for votes

With election day around the corner, the biggest players in the political game are hosting final rallies to sway voters. File picture: David Ritchie/African News Agency (ANA)

With election day around the corner, the biggest players in the political game are hosting final rallies to sway voters. File picture: David Ritchie/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Apr 23, 2019

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Cape Town - With a little over two weeks left before election day, political parties are giving one final push to sway voters.

Stellenbosch University's political sciences professor Amanda Gouws said this is a crucial period for voters.

“Political parties are definitely going to continue with their campaigns, delivering the same message throughout.”

Gouws said the ANC would most likely get below 60%, but more than 50% nationally.

She said in the province, the party was lacking leadership.

Gouws said despite the EFF's

support growing by 2% or 3% it

still needed a 10% increase in its support to be the official opposition nationally.

She said the party has strongholds in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West, but needed to work on gaining support in other provinces.

“Patricia de Lille’s Good party will create a split in the Western Cape.

"It will attract more coloured

voters.”

DA premier candidate Alan Winde said they would be hosting three final rallies in George, in the Metro and Worcester.

“Every single vote will count in this election.

"The DA has a track record and a plan.

"We are fighting for the people of the Western Cape to ensure we have a properly run provincial train service, an honest and professional provincial police service and a job in every

home.

"We will also continue to ensure service delivery excellence across the province, building on the successes which have set a new benchmark for governance in South Africa.

"The DA is the only party big enough to keep the ANC and EFF out of the Western Cape,” Winde added.

ANC spokesperson Dennis Cruywagen said the party had been using ANC members who are also ministers and deputy ministers to campaign in the province.

“Our message is that we will return to where we left off when we departed from government in 2009.

"We will reintroduce the programmes, such as Bambanani anti-crime campaign, which the DA under Helen Zille ill-advisedly dismantled.

"We are also telling voters that we will build a united, non-racial province, where those who have been pushed to the margins by DA policies will feel at home.

"We will take a deliberate stand against racism and will not only talk about jobs and make false claims, but will actually work with the national government to create jobs.”

Cruywagen said nationally the ANC expected over 60% of the vote.

Good spokesperson Cameron Arendse said premier candidate Patricia de Lille will be campaigning on the ground in the Metro and in the province. We've been targeting those voters who have decided that the old parties, like the ANC and DA, have had their chance to prove themselves in government and have failed to live up to the privilege and responsibility to serve the people.

"They have both served narrow self-interest at the expense of their electoral promises.”

He said Good wants spatial, social, economic and environmental justice.

Provincial EFF chairperson Unathi Ntame said the party was prioritising everyone, going door to door in coloured and predominantly black areas.

“(The) EFF’s message is land without compensation, free education, industrialisation to create jobs for unemployed youth.

"We will do well to get in the legislature, because the DA has collapsed there, and we can of course win nationally,” he added.

@Zoey_Dano

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Cape Argus

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