The Congress of the People (Cope) is confident it will obtain the majority of votes in Wednesday’s election, presidential candidate of the party Mvume Dandala said.
”We are confident that we have convinced South Africans to vote for change,” he told a press briefing in Pretoria on Tuesday.
He added that South Africa’s political landscape would not be the same after Wednesday.
”We have travelled through the country and we have seen men and women who are longing for change … people believe that the past 15 years have been a betrayal. They now see hope in Cope,” he said.
Outlining Cope’s intentions should it be voted into power, Dandala said the party would focus on fighting poverty and crime, and improving education. ”In the first 100 days we will address these issues, we will bring back the Scorpions … improve education so that no child learns under a tree,” he said.
He explained that they would consider forming a coalition with opposition parties, but not with the African National Congress. ”We do not have much in common,” he chirped.
”Cope aims for an outright win,” said the party’s deputy president Mbhazima Shilowa, adding that the since the party’s formation four months ago, Cope had shaken even ”big parties”.
”They had realised that the newborn baby had teeth and can bite,” he said.
Shilowa said the formation of Cope was a success on its own, and the party had not set a percentage to measure its success in the election.
Beaming a broad smile, Dandala said they did not have sleepless nights because they had done their jobs.
”We sleep at night, even today [Tuesday] we will sleep. We do not have any doubts,” said Dandala. — Sapa