While Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille courted Eastern Cape voters, President Jacob Zuma was tending his flock in Jo’burg, promising them that the DA’s hopes for Gauteng were “daydreams”.
Campaigning in Walmer in Port Elizabeth on Monday morning, Zille criticised the Eastern Cape government’s record of wasteful expenditure and lack of housing delivery.
She said she had heard of residents’ frustration at the province’s broken promises on housing projects, and understood this was aggravated because of “corrupt and fruitless expenditure” of money.
“The Eastern Cape recorded the highest level of irregular expenditure in the past financial year, amounting to R2,7-billion … It is particularly infuriating considering that the Eastern Cape had R500-million of its municipal infrastructure grant withdrawn by the national Treasury, because the province failed to spend the money,” she said.
“It is bizarre, in this context, that the municipality said it ran out of money.”
We built this city
The remarks then turned to a government housing project in Gunguluza in Kwanobuhle, Uitenhage.
Earlier she tweeted: “Off to ‘Walmer Township’ with @lindimazibuko. Prez Zuma also in PE opening an RDP housing project made possible by the DA ward councillor!”
According to her speech the ward’s DA councillor Franay van der Linde campaigned for the over 2 000 houses since 2006, and it was because of her hard work that the community had houses.
She said she was not asking for “undying allegiance to the DA”, because “No party in a democracy deserves that kind of loyalty.
“All we are asking you is to lend us your vote for the next five years. If we fail you, you can take your vote back and give it to someone else at the next election.”
Such stuff as dreams are made of
Earlier on Monday morning, the ANC’s jet-setting leader President Jacob Zuma was on the stump in Gauteng, and let slip a few barbs targeted at the opposition, saying the DA were “daydreamers” if thought think they are going to win Johannesburg and Tshwane.
“Of course the ANC’s going to win, it’s a well-known fact,” Zuma said while on the campaign trail for the ANC at Johannesburg’s Park Station.
“We [the ANC] are reaching every corner of the country, we are reaching every place.”
He said Gauteng would always remain in the hands of the ANC.
Speaking from a raised platform, Zuma urged the crowd to turn up to vote for the ANC on May 18, before breaking into his trademark song Awulethu’ Mshini Wami (bring me my machine gun). He then greeted commuters at an adjoining taxi rank, again urging them to vote for the ANC.
Outgoing Johannesburg mayor Amos Masondo and the ANC’s provincial leadership handed out party fliers at the station ahead of Zuma’s arrival. The leaders were in the main addressing voter apathy, and urging people to turn up at the elections and make their mark.
ANC Gauteng chairperson Paul Mashatile expressed confidence the ANC would win all Gauteng municipalities, including the hotly-contested Democratic Alliance-led Midvaal.
The DA announced its mayoral candidates for both Johannesburg and Tshwane early ahead of the elections. The ANC has yet to announce theirs, but reports indicate Johannesburg finance boss Parks Tau could replace Masondo. — Sapa