EThekwini ANC convener Thabani Nyawose commits to deliver 1.2 millions votes for the party to obtain a majority and retain the eThekwini municipality.
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The ANC is targeting 1.2 million votes in eThekwini alone in the upcoming local government elections scheduled for 4 November as it seeks to hang on to the municipality. Party leader in eThekwini, Thabani Nyawose, said the party leaders have made a commitment to secure this number of votes. Nyawose was speaking at the launch of the campaign for the volunteers in Durban on Sunday.
This comes as the party has committed itself to fending off a challenge by the MKP and keeping control of the eThekwini Municipality. Political analysts have stated that they believe the MKP could take over the municipality in the upcoming elections.
Addressing the volunteers, Nyawose said, “Here in eThekwini, we have made a commitment that in the November 4 elections, we want to collect 1.2 million votes for the ANC. That commitment was made with RTT and other structures, and all the volunteers gathered here, that in eThekwini we will ensure that the ANC gets 1.2 million votes or more.
“We have made a commitment that all the wards will go to the ANC. We are preparing to win come November 4. After the elections, the ANC will rule eThekwini alone without working with the smaller parties, and we will work hard to ensure that happens,” said Nyawose.
ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula reiterated Nyawose's call for the ANC to do well in the elections. He sought to dissociate the ANC from the behaviour of its members, saying the organisation was being tarnished by ill-disciplined members. He urged the party volunteers to lead the campaign, pointing out that the strength of the party is in its volunteers.
“The ANC is strong in KZN. The ANC is being harmed by people. When it deploys us to council, it does not send us there to steal; it sends us there to work for the people. We are in the process of electing new councillors. We need to choose people who are believed in by those who live in their communities.”
He called for service delivery to improve, pointing out that in eThekwini, a key challenge that needs to be addressed is the water problem. “We are working to address this issue.”
“In this election, we do not want a coalition; we want to be fully in charge and do things the way the ANC does them. We can’t beg other parties to govern,” said Mbalula.
He encouraged the volunteers to reach out to those who did not come out to vote in the last election. “These parties are not our friends; they hate us. Do you think the IFP and the DA are our friends? They do not want us, but we have no choice because our support is down,” he said.
He called on the members to be committed and stated that the ANC does not want lazy people who work for themselves, but people who serve the community. The ANC Youth League called for ANC members to work for the party, reiterating its displeasure with the government of provincial unity (GPU) and stating it felt the ANC was being undermined.
“We can't be treated by the IFP and the DA as if they lead alone. The ANC must review our relationship with the IFP and the DA.”
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