By Johnathan Paoli
Opposition parties took the weekend to wrap up their final campaign events with the Democratic Party holding its last ‘Rescue SA’ rally at the Willowmore Cricket Stadium in Benoni, Ekurhuleni.
Filled with a sea of blue supporters, DA federal leader John Steenhuisen praised the readiness of the party to take over from the ruling party and deliver the country. Musical performances and key note speeches kept the crowd’s attention.
Steenhuisen – who earlied called on the people of the Western Cape not to divide electoral support for the DA – said a non-DA government would result in the collapse of the province, and the entry of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).
National spokesperson Solly Malatsi said Sunday’s event is the “culmination of celebration of the DA’s progress while we have been leading through this election campaign”.
“KwaZulu-Natal had their final rally two weeks ago we are also having our final rally in the Northern Cape, so that just shows the size of the DA and the footprint we are having and the magnitude of the confidence we have in terms of the confidence we have ahead of this campaign,” Malatsi said.
Meanwhile, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) supporters gathered at the uMhlathuze Sports Complex in Richards Bay for the party’s closing Sizonqoba rally before the elections.
Party leader Velenkosini Hlabisa arrived, after an almost three hour delay, to roars from their supporters, including an overhead fly-by by a chopper.
The location of the rally is a strategic move for the party to solidify its position in the uMhlathuza Local Municipality, following its capture of the former ANC-led municipality in the 2021 local elections.
The IFP KZN premier candidate Thami Ntuli said he was quite positive that their campaign has gained support in highly populated contentious areas across the province.
Hlabisa said the party is willing to stand as an alternative government in the upcoming elections.
“The IFP has worked hard to get our message to get our message out because we cannot stand by and watch our country destroyed. South Africans have been so engaged in campaigns because they are no longer willing to just shut their eyes and vote, they want to know what they are voting for,” he said.
The newly-established Arize Msanzi party has called upon its supporters to approach their own homes and fix their hopes upon the core of the community they come from. The newly established party called upon their members to enter their own individual communities and pray for an electoral victory.
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