‘Vote for small party if you want Change’

Change party president Lesiba Molokomme has lashed out at the old opposition parties, saying voting for them was a fatal decision because they are “toothless” and “enemies of progress”.

He said instead voters must shift their votes to smaller parties like Change.

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“By the way, all political parties were at some stage new and small like we are today but, again, parties who have failed to take over government or at least to bring tangible changes in 27 years have no prospects for ever doing good,” said Molokomme.

“A vote for a smaller party is a vote for new political approach and, ultimately, a vote for the change we all need.” Molokomme said voting for the bigger opposition parties would bring another 27 years of no progress because they are useless.

He hit out at the Democratic Alliance (DA), in particular, after leader John Steenhuisen this week asked voters not to vote for the small parties because “that’s a waste of time”.

This annoyed Molokomme, who said all current parliamentary and municipal parties – especially the “arrogant DA” –
had proven to be toothless and incapable of handling the ruling party”.

He added: “Change views them as actually enemies of people’s progress with no true love for South Africans. The opposition only played the reactionary role of barking at the ANC and made empty noise just to achieve
petty things that will not benefit South Africans.

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“They failed to stop worsening spike in corruption, rampant crime, ever skyrocketing unemployment, Eskom’s crippling load shedding, poverty, homelessness, divided families and other social ills.”

Molokomme said all these were hatched and unleashed before the eyes of the opposition parties while they “warmed benches and milked the taxpayers for salaries with nothing to show”.

He added: “Since 1994, they have watched the ANC strategically placing its deployees in every sector of government for preservation of status quo and to harness corruption.

They did nothing to halt this only to act shocked at corruption.”

Molokomme, who established Change after he left the African Christian Democratic Party of which he was Gauteng leader, said none of the old opposition parties could not even force the ruling party to keep the townships clean, ensure people are safe and stop Eskom from punishing the citizens with high tariffs.

The parties, he said, failed to put pressure on the ANC to shelter homeless children and build more hospitals and police stations.

“It was under their watch that people’s constitutional rights were extremely violated. Change earnestly implores
the voters to do themselves and South Africa justice by voting right this time,” he said.

“We appeal to voters to unlock the door for total political overhauling and radical paradigm shift by voting for Change party.”