ANC, DA and EFF members take swipes at each other in pre-election sniping

As voter registration campaigns led by senior political party leaders across the spectrum hit the road at the weekend, pre-election political mudslinging also got under way.

DA leader Mmusi Maimane was the first to fire a salvo against the ruling ANC and the EFF for their co-operation on the issue of land expropriation without compensation.

“ANC & EFF working together to take all private homes & land. You can only stop this if you’re registered correctly to vote! Check now,” Maimane wrote in a Twitter message.

But ANC head of elections Fikile Mbalula shot back in defence of the ruling party.

“The DA has deployed its usual and old tactic – SWART GAVAAR messaging to voters deceiving people that the ANC wants to take their homes. No, the ANC won’t do that and they know it. Our movement spent decades fighting for the land that was stolen, amongst other things.”

Leaders across the political divide called on people to register as voters, and for those who had voted previously to check their registration status.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, accompanied by Gauteng Premier David Makhura, took an early morning walk with residents of Protea Glen in Soweto. He then accompanied struggle stalwart Winnie Madikizela-Mandela to check her registration in Orlando West. Ramaphosa later went to his home area in nearby Chiawelo to check his voter registration details.

Accompanied by Mbalula and other officials, Ramaphosa visited the Maponya Mall where he addressed shoppers and shop owners about the importance of registering as a voter.

Maimane canvassed in Tshwane yesterday and on Saturday went with his mother and sister to check their registration details at a school in Soweto. Later on Sunday, he went to Nelson Mandela Bay where he asked people to register to vote so they could choose a government that would make a difference in their lives.

Maimane, who said the DA would prevail in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro despite the EFF’s threat to remove DA mayor Athol Trollip, is expected to outline the DA’s stance on land in Johannesburg today.

“The EFF has said they will hand Nelson Mandela Bay back to the corrupt ANC, not because of poor governance or corruption or anything that this government did wrong. No, their reason for turning on the DA is pure racism,” Maimane said.

EFF leader Julius Malema went to his home township of Seshego, Polokwane, while United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa, accompanied by a group of party activists, visited registration centres at Ngangelizwe in Mthatha yesterday.

Yesterday the parliamentary portfolio committee on home affairs urged all eligible voters to go to voting stations, even on the last day of registration, to register and check their details.

“Anyone with service delivery issues should use his/her vote to express their views. Our forebears fought for us to be able to vote for our government. Let us register to exercise this democratic right,” committee chairperson Lemias Mashile said.

Several incidents of violence were reported during registration.

A man was arrested at Zaaiplaas near Groblersdal in Limpopo after he allegedly attacked Independent Electoral Commission officials at Mathakge voter registration station, telling them to leave. The police said he would appear in court soon.

Some stations were closed in parts of the country due to violent service delivery protests. These areas included the previously strife-torn Vuwani in Limpopo, Katlehong in Ekurhuleni in Gauteng, Marikana in the North West and Dunoon and Gugulethu in Cape Town. Protesters in Marikana demanded the government address their demands before they would register or vote in 2019.

– ericn@citizen.co.za

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