The visibility of the ruling ANC dropped drastically in Johannesburg North during 9 and 10 April’s voter registration exercise.
Fourways Review found that members of President Jacob Zuma’s party were conspicuously absent in both the streets and at entrances of voter registration centres, which is very uncharacteristic of the revolutionary movement.
The party seems to have literally surrendered to Johannesburg North Democratic Alliance (DA) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) as it didn’t even pitch up tents in most voter registration centres in the area.
“We were the only party with desks at the gates of voter registration centres in my ward,” said Ward 115 DA councillor, Chris Santana.
Fourways Review visited Neighbourhood Community Hall and Paradise School in Diepsloot on 9 April and only the DA and EFF had desks at the gate.
DA councillor in Diepsloot, Refilwe Mathebula said the registration was very peaceful because the ANC remained out of action following acrimonious discord from Luthuli House. “I never saw anyone in yellow, green and black T-shirts. They do not have the energy because of the problems at their headquarters,” speculated Mathebula.
Fourways MP, Cameron Mackenzie said the campaign prowess of the ANC was incapacitated by the constitutional ruling which found Zuma guilty of failing to uphold the constitution of the country. “The ANC has always fought very visible election campaigns in the past but has been conspicuous by its absence, especially in Diepsloot and the informal settlements in Fourways,” he said.
“It is impossible for ANC members and supporters to campaign with any kind of pride or integrity when they know – and the public knows – that they are led by a deeply flawed man who has not only been judged and found wanting by the Constitutional Court but also by the court of public opinion as being ‘secure in comfort’ while our communities live with the evidence of failing service delivery and broken promises – no jobs, no housing, no sanitation and increasingly, no hope.”
DA’s Johannesburg Mayoral Candidate, Herman Mashaba said the ruling party was further being torn apart by their nomination process. “The recent Concourt judgement and the way President Zuma responded to it is furthering the [ANC’s] dissolution at branch level,” said Mashaba.
Efforts to solicit responses from ANC councillors in Diepsloot, Rodgers Makhubele and Abraham Moboke, drew blanks.
