With African National Congress (ANC) President Cyril Ramaphosa’s expected Seshego visit early next week the ruling party in the province is seen to be taking the election war to Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Commander-in-Chief Julius Malema’s home turf.
From a planned schedule made available by ANC Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) spokesperson Donald Selamolela it was established that Ramaphosa is headed for a Polokwane touchdown, and specifically featuring the Seshego cluster, on Tuesday. His visit was initially planned for Saturday but had to be postponed due to unforeseen circumstances, Polokwane Observer was informed.
But no strategic measure of “tilting public opinion and winning sectors” – as stated on the coinciding itinerary of ANC Deputy President David Mabuza for a visit to Waterberg and Vhembe Regions from Friday until Sunday – would be able to spruce up the organisation’s electioneering campaign in Limpopo that is being regarded as having fallen flat, reckoned long-standing members of the party interviewed this week.
Party insiders, who spoke on condition of remaining unidentified, tagged going to Seshego’s streets and public places at such a late stage as the transmission of a distress signal in the hope of still achieving the organisation’s set targets for 8 May. Since Malema’s departure from the organisation the ANC has never mounted a serious electioneering campaign on his home turf, said a source.
Now more than ever the ANC in Limpopo was perceived to be needing much wanted votes to achieve the 65% goal, the source remarked. Whether they would make it had to be seen to be believed, reckoned trusted party insiders.
The current ANC electioneering campaign seemed to be more dependent on Ramaphosa and with less than a month to go to Election Day the party president was being brought in to Polokwane for a reason, stressed a source.
“The campaign is very flat because there is no contextualisation of thuma mina in the message to voters to explain why they were being sent,” said the source with reference to the word play in Ramaphosa’s initial State of the Nation speech.
Some of those who were indeed sent in were being questioned for their alleged implication in the VBS Mutual Bank scandal and the failure of actual steps taken against them, he added. According to the source the VBS matter and the inclusion of cadres whose names were mentioned in connection with corruption-related allegations would cost the ANC in the elections. The source referred to the war against crime and corruption being said to have been intensified but continued asking when and by whom. “We can’t get away from payback time,” he commented.
In conclusion the source remarked that the inclusion of someone like ANC Deputy Provincial Chairperson Florence Radzilani, who was reportedly implicated in the matter of the bank, in the seventh slot on the party’s province-to-province list made the ruling party in the province look as if it was “showing the organisation the middle finger”.
Belief was expressed among the sources that the ANC would definitely win this year’s elections, but that the organisation might not do so with a margin or the targeted figures.
“The message-less campaign of the ruling party might benefit the EFF and the DA (Democratic Alliance), a party that unfortunately seems to be prioritising other provinces.”
Doubt further existed about the DA in Limpopo being able to achieve a double digit percentage for votes set as a target, one of the sources stressed.
When asked for comment on the contentious issue around Radzilani’s name appearing on the organisation’s 2019 elections lists, Selamolela explained that she had been proposed by branches of the ANC in the province while the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party was dealing with the issue around VBS Mutual Bank. “It is not as if there is defiance somewhere. It is just how the process is unfolding.”
*In the meantime Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi’s campaign trail is also expected to make a turn in Limpopo as part of a visit to include North West this weekend. When in Polokwane on Saturday he is expected to address a rally at Jack Botes hall in the morning.
Story: YOLANDE NEL
>>observer.yolande@gmail.com
