Congress of the People (Cope) presidential candidate Mvume Dandala hit the campaign trail in Soweto on Thursday, but his entourage often outnumbered the voters present.
Looking on the bright side, he told journalists sometimes people ‘are so intimidated in these areas that when they actually see many people identifying with Cope they can finally relate and come outâ€.
‘More than anything else we want to show people that the Congress of the People is a legitimate organisation. It is an open organisation and they can identify with it,†he said.
Arriving at the Southgate KFC, the former bishop walked past several journalists unrecognised before Cope members saw him and began cheering.
As the convoy left the smell of fried chicken behind, Dandala gave his supporters a pep talk.
‘Viva Dandala! Viva!†shouted a woman from the back.
‘Thank you for all the work you are doing. It gives me great hope to see people, particularly the younger age groups, who are passionate about this country, who want to be proud of South Africa,†Dandala said.
‘One of the things that is shaming us in the world is the discrepancy between the rich and the poor in this country. It is not nice to be listed with Brazil all the time as the two worst countries when it comes to difference between the rich and the poor.
‘People ask what are we are for … the policies of this country are fine; what is missing is the political will to implement them,†he said.
A large convoy of cars escorted Dandala’s canary yellow bus emblazoned with the grinning faces of himself and Cope president Mosiuoa Lekota.
Lekota seems to have got the lesser position, as his image was directly over a door and often moved out of view when the bus was parked.
The convoy’s first stop was in Freedom Park. With journalist’s tape machines rolling and cameras snapping, Dandala chatted with a spaza-shop owner and bought a vetkoek before turning to the dozen
or so people who gathered around.
Dandala obviously enjoyed greeting the people of Freedom Park.
He also seemed to enjoy his vetkoek.
Handing out pamphlets, Dandala was surrounded by neighbourhood children who seemed more excited by CNN’s video camera than the Cope presidential candidate.
Next stop was Kliptown via Eldorado Park, where local Cope coordinator Kate Kgobe insisted Eldorado Park and Kliptown ‘are for Copeâ€, not the African National Congress (ANC).
‘When you talk to people about the ANC it is like you are cursing them,†she said.
Kgobe was formerly a member of the ANC but claimed she had wanted to leave the party since 2003, when, she said, the provincial ANC refused to visit her community and talk about jobs.
As the bus drove through Eldorado Park, few ANC posters could be spotted.
But, then again, neither were those of other parties much in evidence.
Many ANC posters, some sporting Zuma’s face, had been vandalised.
As the bus pulled into Kliptown market, a young man, barely out of his teens, defiantly shouted at the driver, proclaiming he was ANC and would be voting for Zuma.
‘He talks too much. He probably doesn’t have an ID,†Kgobe said.
The Kliptown stop drew a larger crowd, but with more sporadic interest.
What felt almost like a quiet stroll through the market was suddenly broken up by a ululating woman who ran forward to embrace Dandala and raise his arm like a victorious boxer.
It was an unscripted moment, and one the former bishop took in his stride with his unfailing smile.
Cope members handing out T-shirts to supporters were interrupted when some men tried to grab the shirts by the handful.
Kgobe explained later that they intended reselling them for a profit. — Sapa