Potchefstroom - The Democratic Alliance (DA) will defeat the African National Congress (ANC) just as apartheid was defeated, DA leader Mmusi Maimane said on Saturday.
"President [Cyril] Ramaphosa said load shedding will be defeated like apartheid. We are saying the ANC will be defeated like apartheid," he told thousands of applauding DA supporters at the launch of the DA's North West 2019 elections manifesto in Potchefstroom.
"Our real problem is that apartheid happened in South Africa, and instead of addressing the injustice of apartheid a few of his fellow comrades got together and stole from the people of South Africa. We voted out the apartheid government; we are here to vote out the government of the ANC. We are here to bring change," he said.
Maimane was in Potchefstroom to drum up support for DA North West premier candidate Joe McGluwa and rally support for the party ahead of the May 8 general elections.
Maimane also took a swipe at the Freedom Front Plus, saying it wanted to divide people into racial groupings. However, the DA was the only party that represented all South Africans. "The DA must succeed because we stand for all South Africans," he said.
DA supporters at the launch of the DA North West elections manifesto in Potchefstroom. Picture: DA Twitter
DA chief whip John Steenhuisen said there was no need to "fight back", and South Africans had to stand together. "Who can you fight back when there are no people in your meetings? Do not fight back, but stand together," he said in Afrikaans.
McGluwa said the DA was confident it would make gains in the North West on May 8. "It is possible for us to reach 24 percent of the vote. Before it was 13 and 14 percent, it was very low, but we are very positive this time around of what is happening in the province. It is possible for us to reach 22 or 24 percent," he said.
DA leader Mmusi Maimane at the launch of the DA's North West 2019 elections manifesto in Potchefstroom. Video: ANA
DA leader Mmusi Maimane at the launch of the DA's North West 2019 elections manifesto in Potchefstroom. Video: ANA
The intention was to bring the ANC to below 50 percent of the vote.