Staff Reporter
The ANC in Gauteng has brought on board a record number of 27,000 volunteers to garner support for the party ahead of the crucial May 8 general elections.
This was revealed by the party’s head of elections campaign in Gauteng Lebogang Maile during the launch of #ANCSundays at Busy Corner, Ivory Park on Sunday.
Maile said the party decided to add social engagements to the list of its election campaign programme, to ensure it reaches as many ordinary South Africans before the May 8 elections. Over the past few weeks, party leaders have been criss-crossing the province on a door to door campaign and visited a number of churches throughout Gauteng to garner support.
In 2016, the ANC in Gauteng lost two key metros – Tshwane and Johannesburg – to the Democratic Alliance led coalition. While the party managed to retain the Ekurhuleni metro through a coalition, it lost significant numbers of support in a number of townships including Tembisa, traditionally regarded as an ANC stronghold.
While the party believes the election of Cyril Ramaphosa as ANC president has restored the confidence of the people, Maile said it was not leaving anything to chance until the election day.
“ANC structures must be where the people are. We will have ANC members in their regalia socialising with ordinary people every Sunday until the elections,” said Maile.
He said unlike before, the ANC has encouraged its leaders not to use the social engagement programme as a show off to ordinary citizens. Previously, ANC leaders would use similar engagements to display luxury cars and expensive drinks.
“Even today, we didnt book this place [Busy Corner]. Everyone is welcome to join our #ANCSundays. We will no longer do exclusive bookings. There will be no VIP like what used to happen previously,” said Maile.
He said the party was not threatened by the strong present of the Economic Freedom Fighters [EFF] and the DA, in townships and informal settlements around Gauteng.
