Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen said South Africans will decide their own fate on election day and that help is on the way.
Steenhuisen was speaking at the DA’s final campaign rally at Willowmoore Stadium in Benoni, Ekurhuleni on Sunday.
Steenhuisen said the ANC will lose elections.
“The ANC will lose the outright majority is has abused for decades to subject the people of this country to unemployment, corruption and misrule. On Wednesday we close the chapter on the ANC rule.”
The DA leader said the 29th of May 2024 will go down in history as the most consequential day in South Africa since the birth of our democracy in 1994.
“My fellow South Africans on Wednesday you will hold the pen that writes a new chapter for South Africa. I believe that the South African people are about make history by voting for their hopes and installing a new government anchored by a proved track record.”
Election polls expect the ANC to lose its parliamentary majority for the first time since struggle icon Nelson Mandela was voted into power in 1994.
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Steenhuisen also touched on the National Health Insurance (NHI) bill saying it is “an assault on the aspirations of South Africans.”
“Unlike the ANC, the DA doesn’t do populist political gimmicks.
“Instead of expropriating medical aid funds, we have a rational and sustainable plan to achieve universal access to quality healthcare by making private medical aid affordable for more people, while rooting out corruption and mismanagement from public hospitals and clinics – just like we have already done in the Western Cape,” Steenhuisen said.
Steenhuisen said South Africa has suffered under the unbearable burden of unemployment, crime and poverty.
“These disasters were deliberately created by people. They were created corrupt and selfish people, who betrayed our country. Who used the corruption of BEE and cadre deployment to become billionaires, while plunging eleven million people into unemployment, and thirty million people into poverty.
“They sat by and watched as our country was sold to the Guptas. Who hid undeclared dollars inside their couches, and then covered it up,” Steenhuisen said.
Steenhuisen said in this election and for the first time ever, the DA has a clear pathway into national government.
“By uniting with our partners inside the Multi-Party Charter, we have pooled together the biggest bloc of opposition votes since 1994. Together, we can get to the 50%-plus-one we need to rescue South Africa. With the ANC on its way out, if every DA voter comes out on Election Day, we can win!
“I am here today to tell you one thing, help is on the way!,” Steenhuisen said.
He said voters cannot sit back and allow the DA to lose.
“If we sit back and allow a coalition between the ANC, the EFF and the MK Party – aided by sell outs like the Patriotic Alliance – our tomorrow will be far, far worse than our yesterday.”
Steenhuisen said, on voting day, defeating the ANC and electing the DA is “voters date with destiny.”
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