By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
African National Congress (ANC) President Cyril Ramaphosa says he is confident that many South Africans want the party to continue governing the country.
Ramaphosa was addressing hundreds of ANC members and supporters during the party’s Siyanqoba rally in Qwaqwa, Free State.
Thabo Mofutsanyane is the biggest region in the province, therefore holds the biggest share of voters in the province.
This is evident as every political party in the province takes its election machinery to the region to try to convince voters in the area to vote for their respective parties.
The latest political party to deploy its heavyweights in the region was the ANC, which on Sunday deployed its sitting Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa says he is encouraged by the numbers of people who continue to support the ANC rallies and gatherings. He says these should be translated into votes.
In just 30 days South Africans will head to the polls for this year’s national and provincial elections.
Ramaphosa said despite some of the party’s weaknesses, people still believe the ANC has the leadership needed to take the country forward.
“Whether people like it or not, the ANC is here to stay. and you better make peace with it and just accept that you will always play a secondary or third role while the ANC leads.”
“Our supporters turned out in their numbers and that obviously gives me a lot of confidence that in their own understanding that the ANC should continue to govern despite some of the weaknesses, “Ramaphosa said.
The ANC president said they would win the coming elections with a decisive victory as they celebrate 30 years of democracy.
This, he said, was due to the number of people who continue to support the ANC rallies and gatherings.
Thabo Mofutsanyane region is highly contested and it’s been said that it’s the stronghold of the former SABC chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng.
Motsoeneng hails from the region, and his organisation, African Content Movement (ACM), has seats in Maluti-A-Phofung Municipality.
Many residents are believed to have been sympathetic to Motsoeneng’s party as they have lost faith in the ANC and other political parties.
Meanwhile ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula, says they are now intensifying their campaign in the Western Cape. He is also confident that the ANC will beat the DA in the elections, and take back power in the Western Cape.
“The ANC is in a position to oust the DA out of power and to actually work for outright majority here. That’s what we want. It is possible because the DA has failed ordinary people here in the Western Cape and all that we’re getting from our people is that we know that the ANC is not in power and we are ready to go all out and vote on the 29th of May.”
Elsewhere the African People’s Movement (APEMO) has called for people of all ages to be employed in government positions which the party said should have no age limits. This as government positions mostly go to people below the age of 35.
APEMO President Vikizitha Mlotshwa outlined his party’s roadmap in Bergville, in the Drakensberg region of KwaZulu-Natal. APEMO is a splinter faction of the National Freedom Party (NFP) but also worked with the party and the African National Congress (ANC) to take control of the Okhahlamba Local Council.