ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa is confident that the party will win Monday’s local government elections outright and coalitions are not part of his vocabulary.
ANC PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa is confident that the party will win Monday’s local government elections outright and coalitions are not part of his vocabulary.
Addressing the media after campaigning in Ivory Park in Midrand, Ramaphosa said he was not thinking of any form of deal or coalition after the municipal polls.
“The ANC is going to win outright so that’s how much positive I am,” said Ramaphosa. “So, coalition does not exist in my vocabulary. Outright victory is what exists in my vocabulary.”
According to Ramaphosa, the ANC is completely ready for the elections.
“Our supporters and members are primed to go out in great numbers to go and support and vote for the ANC. I’m feeling very confident about our victory,” he said.
He added that the ANC was going to surprise many people who think that the governing party is on its knees and will not mount a very successful campaign. He described the ANC’s election campaign as “very powerful”.
Ramaphosa also addressed concerns about the impact of load shedding on the municipal polls after power utility Eskom implemented rolling electricity blackouts this week.
“We are confident that there won’t be any load shedding in the next two days and Eskom is really dealing with a big challenge – and sometimes we criticise them, we condemn them – and it’s not an easy task,” he said.
Ramaphosa continued: “I am putting a lot of pressure on them (Eskom), however, that they must stabilise the electricity system in our country because our people deserve a stable electricity system”.
He said he did not think load shedding will have a negative impact on the elections.
“Our people understand where we are, they are angry – I’ve conceded the anger is there – but at the same time they have come to understand and internalised the explanations that have been given.
“We have often known that Eskom is the biggest risk not only to the economy but to the lives of our people and we need to manage that risk,” Ramaphosa explained.
During Friday’s Siyanqoba rally at Thokoza Park in Moroka, Soweto, Ramaphosa promised that the ANC would solve the problem of electricity supply.
“At national level, we will do this by continuing the work that is under way to increase generation capacity. We will do this locally by investing in electricity distribution infrastructure and enabling municipalities to buy power from different sources,” he told ANC supporters and members.
On Saturday, he called on all South Africans, irrespective of the political party they supported, to go out in their millions to vote on Monday.
“This is our civic duty, it is our constitutional right, it’s a hard fought for right that all of us who can vote should go out and vote.
“So I’m expecting that many of our people who are registered will go out and vote and as president of the republic I’m calling on all South Africans, Monday is your appointment with your democratic destiny.
“Let us all go out and vote whoever we vote for,” Ramaphosa said.
– POLITICAL BUREAU
