All’s not fair on campaign trail

We realise the silly season of campaigning for votes is nearing its climax – and with it comes all the dirty tricks – but
it’s disappointing to see how the ruling party is using people’s misfortune to persuade voters to make their mark in their favour on Monday at the polls.

Forget the destruction and heartbreak Covid has brought for a minute. Forget how the lack of jobs and poor economy has left many a family in despair.

Load shedding over the past few days has plunged the country into darkness, hurting businesses, homes and scaring investors away once more.

A crisis calls for calm from its leaders. Not so, on the eve of an election that is meant to deal with those very
issues – service delivery of basic needs.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, while addressing community members in Tsabella in Ekurhuleni this week, shifted the blame for the surge in load shedding to illegal connections of electricity and the theft of cables.

Ramaphosa told some residents in the crowd who were carrying placards stating “no electricity, no vote”:

“If you don’t vote for the ANC, then electricity may never be restored.”

He asked: “Which other party do you trust to ensure that electricity is restored here?”

All may be fair in love and war, but we expected better from you, Mr President.