Published: Saturday, May 25, 2024
JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s main political parties started their final weekend of campaigns on Saturday, before a potentially pivotal election which could bring about the most significant change to the country in the last three decades.
Cyril Ramaphosa, the South African president and leader of the African National Congress (ANC), delivered a speech to supporters of the party at a Johannesburg soccer stadium.
The ANC faces unprecedented pressure in Africa’s most developed country to maintain its parliamentary majority. After a steady decline in popularity over the past two decades, the Wednesday election could mark a historic moment for the ANC, which was once led by Nelson Mandela. The party is expected to still win the majority of votes, but its share will drop below 50%.
ANC support is below 50% in several polls, which raises the possibility of a national coalition. This would be a historic first for South Africa, whose young democracy was established only 30 years ago when the first multi-racial vote ended apartheid.
Ramaphosa acknowledged the concerns of South Africans as he addressed thousands of supporters wearing the black, green, and gold colors of the ANC at its final major rally before elections. These included the high rates of unemployment and poverty that primarily affects the Black majority of the country.
Ramaphosa stated that “we have a plan” to put more South Africans into work. “In the homes of South Africans, at the workplaces, and on the streets of townships and rural villages, many people have told us about their struggle to find work and support their families during this campaign.”
The main opposition Democratic Alliance held a rally at Cape Town, South Africa’s second largest city and stronghold. John Steenhuisen, the party leader, delivered a speech as supporters wearing blue DA colors held blue umbrellas.
Steenhuisen asked, “Democrats, my friends, are ready for change?” The crowd responded with “Yes!”
While the ANC has lost support in three consecutive national elections, and it appears that it will continue to lose it, no other party has emerged as a serious contender to it.
Losing its majority would represent the most blatant rejection of this famous party, which was at the forefront in the anti-apartheid campaign and is credited for leading South Africans towards freedom.
Some ANC supporters have also expressed frustration as the 62 million-strong country struggles with poverty, unemployment that is at an all-time high, inequality among the highest in the world and corruption, violent crimes and a failure of basic services.
Ntombizonke Biyela, an ANC supporter, said: “We are looking forward to seeing job opportunities and a general change in all aspects.” Since 1994, we have waited for ANC. It has been a long wait. We have voted and voted but see very little progress. Only a few people seem to benefit.
The ANC, while admitting some failures and pointing out that South Africa has improved since apartheid when a series of laws based on race oppressed South Africa’s Black majority to favor a small minority of whites. The ANC is also credited for expanding services to South Africans who were poor in the decade following apartheid.
Eric Phoolo (42), another supporter, said: “There are many issues in South Africa but no one can deny that the ANC has brought about the changes since 1994.”
The slow fracturing in South African politics has resulted from some voters turning away from the ANC. This is not a rise of a single opposition. South Africans who are dissatisfied have joined a variety of opposition parties. Some of these are new. There are dozens of parties registered to run in the next election.
South Africans do not vote directly for their president during national elections. Instead, they vote for the parties. The parties then receive seats in Parliament based on their vote share, and the legislators elect the president. This is why losing the ANC’s majority could affect Ramaphosa’s chances of a smooth reelection for a second five-year term.
If the ANC falls below 50% it will need to reach an agreement with the other parties in order to get the votes needed to re-elect Ramaphosa. He was once a Mandela protege.
Economic Freedom Fighters, a far-left political party, held their final big pre-election meeting in Polokwane (northern city), the hometown of Julius Malema. Malema stated that the South African people must decide whether they want to be unemployed.
Zuma, the former South African president and former ANC chief who founded the new MK Party, was also in a township near Durban on the east coast of the country. However Zuma did not attend. Zuma, 82, shocked South African politics last year when he announced that he would be leaving the ANC to join MK and criticizing the ANC led by Ramaphosa.
Zuma is no longer eligible to run for Parliament due to a criminal conviction. However, MK can still use his image and continue to campaign. Duduzile Zuma Sambudla, his daughter, attended the rally where MK supporters chanted “Run Ramaphosa run.”
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Gerald Imray reported on Cape Town and Farai Mussaka from Durban.
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