In their last efforts to garner votes before the provincial legislature elections, the Democratic Alliance held a ‘Vote for jobs’ rally at the Coca Cola Dome on 3 May.
More than 20 000 supporters flocked to the Dome in a wave of blue shirts and flags so they could listen to the speeches of the DA’s Gauteng Premiere candidate, Mmusi Maimane, as well as parlimentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko and party leader Helen Zille.
The campaign mainly focused on Maimane, with his speech receiving the biggest response from the crowd which filled the 18 000-seater Dome. He spoke about the future he would like to create as Gauteng’s premiere if given a chance, and moreover, job creation.
“We will create hundreds of thousands of apprenticeships,” exclaimed Maimane. “They will be available to young people in the private sector.”
He continued to state that it’s the entrepreneurs of Gauteng who need to lead in job creation. “Right now government is working against entrepreneurs. Under the DA we will break down large tenders into smaller ones so that small businesses can have a chance to compete. We will also make all tender committees completely open to the public. ”
Zille closed the rally by reiterating the role of a government in a society. “If our government was doing its work properly,” she stated, “South Africa would be attracting more investment and the economy would be growing much faster to create the jobs we need to tackle our biggest problem: unemployment and poverty.”
“The ANC has become arrogant because they believe that the voters will carry on voting for them, whatever they do,” she continued. “Well, they are in for a big shock on Wednesday. Bazokothuka. Hulle gaan groot skrik.”
Although it has been forecast that the ANC will once again take two-thirds majority, their vote is said to decrease from 65.9 percent in 2009, to 63 percent in the coming elections.
The opposition’s vote is set to grow more than any other political party in this election, winning 23.7 percent compared to the 16.7 percent it achieved in 2009.
