By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Newly formed political party RISE Mzansi held its final rally at the Ruimsig Stadium in Roodepoort as it prepares for the upcoming national and provincial elections.
The party is for the first time contesting the 2024 elections which kicked off on Friday, opening with voting abroad where, according to officials, a sizable number of votes were received, from Rise Mzansi supporters working and living abroad.
RISE Mzansi’s party leader Songezo Zibi says he was going into the elections “angry” because of the false promises the African National Congress (ANC) had made for the last 30 years.
“I am deeply sad that, 30 years into democracy, we are very far from our promised land…
Actually, I’m not just sad. I’m angry too. I am angry at the way the promise has been broken … at the way the dream of freedom and equality and dignity of democracy has been deferred …
“Because of the way the old leaders from the old parties have squandered the mandate we have given them. The way they have broken our trust … and so here we are, 30 years later, with millions of South Africans going into this election with fear for their lives and for the future.
Zibi, flanked by among others his chairperson and Gauteng premier candidate Vuyiswa Ramokgopa, made a grand entrance shaking supporters’ hands before he got on to the stage in Ruimsig Stadium in Roodepoort.
“Our objective as Rise Mzansi is to turn that fear into hope. And to turn that hope into actual transformation,” Zibi said.
He said his party had a “real” and “workable” plan to make the criminal justice system work, promising to reduce crime.
The experts tell us this [reducing murder rate] is absolutely doable, with the right policies, and the right leadership of the SAPS. Let’s chuck out the cronies, the ineffectual, the corrupt. Let’s put the clean and efficient ones in,” Zibi said.
In addition, he said the party had a plan to make the economy work to provide jobs to millions of people.
He said they would do this by raising R300bn in three years through a wealth tax and setting up a national growth fund that will repair the ailing infrastructure and create jobs at the same time.
“This is nothing less than a New Deal for South Africa, and we all know that we need it. We are certain that, with the right political leadership, everyone will come on board,” he said.
Zibi said the party would also enable mothers to learn skills, find work and earn an income.
“We have a real and workable plan to help single mothers and all parents by doubling the childcare grant, to earn skills, to find work and earn an income — because their communities will have fully equipped day care centres staffed by trained people from within the community.”
Meanwhile the African National Congress (ANC) in Eastern Cape has set its sights high and hopes to breach the 80% mark for the first time at next week’s polls.With a 61% voter turnout in 2019, the ANC received 69% of the vote in the largely rural province.
The last time the ANC in Eastern Cape came anywhere near 80% was during former president Thabo Mbeki’s presidency in 2004 when the party garnered 79% of the provincial vote.
Mbeki has apparently decided to step back from ANC election campaigns in favour of “diplomatic commitments on the continent”.
He has yet to clear the air, save for comments from the Eastern Cape ANC that he has diplomatic commitments on the continent.
Mbeki has, given his posture that the ANC under president Cyril Ramaposa was simply paying lip service to the idea of renewal, getting rid of elements within the party tainted by allegations of corruption, would not have been impressed with Ramaphosa’s implementation of the state capture commission’s findings.
But provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi said 2024 might be different as the party tries to get back to its 2004 support levels.
“In the Eastern Cape, we are certain that we are going to win with a margin of around 82-85% and we are working flat out so that people do not take it for granted that the ANC is going to win. We are campaigning like it’s nobody’s business,” Ngcukayitobi said.