Johannesburg - Don’t be surprised when your pastor suddenly encourages you to vote at next year’s elections and invites a politician to come and address your church.
You need not be shocked when you see an MP or famous political figure attending a funeral in your community.
It is also to be entirely expected when you see your favourite politician all of a sudden rocking up at a community meeting wanting to know your needs, five years after you elected him to go to Parliament, a provincial legislature or a local council.
It is all part and parcel of the ANC’s election drive, as outlined in its election manual, guiding its cadres on how they should entice you to vote for the party in the forthcoming elections.
If you live in a township or rural area, expect local taxis to play ANC songs while your “stokvels” are urged to encourage members to vote for the ANC.
On election day next year, the ANC in Gauteng has even called on its members to organise transport for potential voters.
Opinion-makers in your community and celebrities will don ANC paraphernalia to woo you to vote for the party as it faces its toughest election contest.
This is how far the ruling party is willing to go to protect the 65 percent majority vote it got in 2009, amid a challenge from the DA, Economic Freedom Fighters as well as AgangSA.
The ANC Gauteng election manual – said to be in line with the party’s national manual – advises members not to waste their resources on areas where the opposition is strong. The ANC campaign is focused on encouraging voters to apply for IDs and register to vote for the party in 2014.
Already, ANC election documents show that the party wanted its president, Jacob Zuma, as the face of the campaign, and to use infrastructure developments as “bragging election projects”.
The ANC heavyweights and their hangers-on will be out and about and in your face, accompanied by journalists and photographers.
“High-profile candidates can be used to walk around very busy public spaces to hand out ANC pamphlets and talk to voters.
“Always inform the media and try to get at least a picture in the papers. Candidates should be used to meet people at places like clinic queues, factory gates, stations and taxi ranks, where thousands of people pass during rush hour,” the manual says.
“Candidates and representatives in government can be used very effectively to meet and influence individual voters.
“It is important that people see our candidates and get to know them. ‘Meet the people’ events can also get us good publicity if they are interesting enough for the press to cover,” the manual adds.
In previous general elections, the ANC has always visited churches such as Rhema, headed by Ray McCauley, and the Zion Christian Church, during its Easter pilgrimage at Moria, attended by millions of believers.
As fear of Cope in 2009 crept in, the ruling party unleashed kwaito stars from music stable 999, led by Arthur Mafokate.
Zuma would from time to time be seen dancing alongside the sultry singer Chomee.
It appears that this could be another year of a “razzmatazz” election campaign, as the ANC pushes to get the youth vote.
Sunday Independent