• Thabile Mange writes:
From May 27, the country will hold general elections. These elections are likened to the 1994 ones. Many people, especially the youth, are expected to go to the polls. The turnout might be higher than the past democratic elections.
According to political pundits, these elections will result in a coalition. The ANC might govern with another party, including the DA, which has indicated that it is open to that possibility. It could also be an opposition party governing with one or more opposition parties. The possibilities are endless.
The ANC has been in power for the past 30 years. For the very first time, it faces a threat of being relegated to opposition benches, both at national and provincial levels, especially in Gauteng and KZN.
That said, a few days leading to the elections, opposition parties, including the DA, were invisible. In my area, I hardly saw opposition parties doing door-to-door, let alone seeing them wearing their political parties regalia, or talking to voters.
Musi Maimane’s party Bosa used the DA elections strategy: Campaigning through telephone. I received a call from the party. They used a recorded message from Maimane. For me, it’s impersonal and detached.
On the other hand, the ANC was on the ground, doing door-to-door. It also dispatched its senior leaders to campaign and engage with the masses. Its members were always wearing party t-shirts, caps and windbreakers.
Recently, the ANC painted Kagiso yellow. Its first deputy secretary Nomvula Mokonyane and Gauteng MEC for Human Settlement and Infrastructure Development, Lebogang Maile, were in Kagiso campaigning. All ANC local and regional members were also there.
The governing party knows that the best form of campaigning for elections is to engage the masses on the ground. Hence, it dispatched its cadres to all the corners of the country to talk to the masses directly. Yes, many voters are disgruntled with the ANC, but the party has made an effort to talk and listen to them. That should count for something.
Lastly, in my view, the ANC has pulled the best campaign for these elections, trying to avoid losing power. I will not be surprised if it wins the elections by 50 plus one, defying the political analysts’ prediction. But let’s wait until the results are announced.
