Lungani Zungu
The ANC, DA and the EFF, have all laid their cards, and their manifestos, on the table ahead of the 1 November municipal polls.
ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa conceded that the ANC has had many setbacks and failed to govern well in some municipalities.
Speaking at the party’s manifesto launch at Pretoria’s Church Square on Monday, he promised South Africans the party would lead well if elected.
“We will use people who are competent to lead,” he said.
“The time for fly-by-nights is over.”
The ANC lost the majority in the Nelson Mandela Bay, City of Joburg and Tshwane Metros in 2016.
Ramaphosa said the party would fight to regain the votes it lost.
The party got 54%, dramatically down from the 63% it received in 2011.
Launching the DA manifesto virtually on Saturday, party leader John Steenhuisen said they want to snatch municipalities from the ANC. The DA had been a thorn in the side of the ANC as it had been on a growth trend in local government elections.
“We want you to visualise the potential of your town once we have evicted the ANC and replaced it with a DA government,” said Steenhuisen.
“We can’t accept the collapse of these local economies as some kind of fate. These are things that can be changed.”
In 2011, the party won just under 24% of votes and increased this to 26% in 2016.
Julius Malema, the leader of the EFF, launched their election manifesto on Sunday.
He said he was happy with the party’s achievements since its formation in 2013.
The party unveiled its new headquarters named after Winnie Madikizela-Mandela in Marshalltown, Johannesburg.
This will be the EFF’s second time contesting local government elections after achieving just over 8% of the votes in 2016.
Among his election promises, Malema said his party would abolish the use of consultants by the government.
“The EFF has brought hope to ordinary South Africans and energised the programme of reviving municipal councils as the most essential and critical sphere of government,” said Malema.
