By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Former President Thabo Mbeki will lead the African National Congress (ANC)’s campaign trail in Soweto, Gauteng ahead of the 2024 national and provincial elections.
Mbeki will lead a walkabout and meet and greet at the Jabulani Mall in Soweto.
The party confirmed that he will campaign in Soweto on Thursday afternoon.
This comes as the ANC is roping in its heavyweights to bolster its campaign ahead of the May 29 polls.
This includes former deputy presidents David Mabuza and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former president Kgalema Motlanthe and former National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete.
Mbeki has in the recent past expressed disappointment at what he believes to have been broken promises by president Cyril Ramaphosa, particularly for failing to implement the resolution to renew the party.
When he delivered the eulogy at the memorial service of his former deputy foreign affairs minister, Aziz Pahad, Mbeki reiterated his concerns that the party has failed to make progress in implementing the renewal resolution.
However, Mbeki has chosen to remain loyal to the party despite his concerns.
He recently criticised former president Jacob Zuma for announcing his support for the MK party while choosing to remain an ANC member.
Meanwhile the ANC in Limpopo has come out victorious in the Polokwane Municipality ward 10 by-election at Seshego.
The ward has been without a councillor following the resignation of Jacob Seshoka of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) following a criminal case that is hovering over his head.
The ward was tightly contested with the EFF aiming to retain the ward through candidate, Makgadi Phala amid strong competition from Willie Madikoto of the ANC, John Hlongwane of Action SA and Kholofelo Mathiba of the newly- formed uMkhonto Wesizwe Party.
The results were released just after midnight with the ANC topping with ANC – 1814 followed by EFF – 1471 and other parties got MK – 23, ELF SA – 38, ActionSA – 63 and Dudula – 7
Willie Madikoto has been elected as the new Ward 10 councillor under Polokwane Municipality with a Margin of 343 = 52.66%.
Elsewhere the Patriotic Alliance (PA) gave the DA and the ANC much cause for concern in the Western Cape when it won wards off both parties in by-elections, and came close to shocking the ANC in Clanwilliam as well, in a ward that was won by a local party, Cederberg Eerste (CE).
The three highly anticipated by-elections in KwaZulu-Natal were postponed until June. The KZN MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs, Bongi Sithole-Moloi, did not proclaim the elections.