Ipsos recently released the latest opinion-polls survey conducted across a cross section of 4 000 people. It depicted quite a scary picture, politically speaking. The poll result stated that the ANC will attain less than 50 per cent of the votes either the 2019 elections.
On the same note, it did not paint a positive picture for opposition parties. Instead of the DA and EFF gaining the votes lost by the ANC, their support is showing a decline, too. This makes one wonder which party those votes will go to.
I have always said that the opposition should not marvel at the ANC’s loss as they are not winning over those voters. Most people are abstaining from voting altogether. This was evident during the elections in 2014 and the municipal elections in 2016 where the IEC disclosed that almost 50 per cent of registered voters abstained from going to the polls.
This is bad news for all political parties because it indicates that something is not right. The opposition parties are pointing fingers at the ANC for all its wrongdoings, yet they are not doing any better in attracting disgruntled voters. It is no secret that the coalition councils – the DA, EFF, United Democratic Movement and other smaller parties formed after August 2016 – are beginning to show cracks because they were formed to fight the ruling party.
Cope was formed from the ANC in 2007 after Thabo Mbeki was thwarted by the Jacob Zuma faction. Julius Malema led his own faction in 2014 when he founded the EFF. The world is waiting to see what will happen after the ANC national elective conference in December. If they want to avoid history repeating itself, the new leadership should equitably constitute of members of the various factions – that way no one will lose; all will still have a piece of the pie.
From December the ANC has a few months to redeem itself among the electorate and prove once again its Batho Pele. At the same time, instead of taking their fight to the courts, the opposition should be putting their houses in order to show the people they can do better.
If they don’t change now, the predicted poll results will prove to be true.
