The results of the May 18 local government elections will shock the ruling party out of its complacency, Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille said on Thursday.
“I believe the results of this election are going to surprise many people,” she said at Seshego near Polokwane in Limpopo.
Zille was in Seshego, the birthplace of African National Congress Youth League leader Julius Malema, to canvass votes for her party.
She said the results would tell whether South Africa was moving in the right direction or not.
“If South Africans go out in their numbers and vote for the same party they have been toyi-toying against, then you know we are moving in the wrong direction.
“But if the results show that more and more people are making a different choice, then you know we are moving in the right direction.”
Under pressure
She said governments delivered when they were put under pressure to deliver.
“You will only get access to basic services and job opportunities if you put the governing party in your municipality under pressure. And the only way to do that is to take your vote away when the municipality doesn’t deliver.”
She said the 2010 Soccer World Cup was successful because Fifa put South Africa under pressure.
“We knew that if we did not meet our deadlines, the World Cup would be taken away from us. It is the same in politics.”
The DA, which prides itself on governing the City of Cape Town and several towns, wants to increase the number of municipalities under its control in the upcoming election.
Zille said that with the DA in government, service delivery had improved. Corruption had been rooted out and there were more job opportunities.
“DA municipalities deliver more free basic services to more poor people than other municipalities. That is a fact,” she said.
‘We have to be realistic’
Meanwhile, it will take time before the DA wins a local election in Polokwane, Zille said.
“We have to be realistic about that, but you can still use your vote to send a message to the ANC,” she said.
“Use your vote to show that you won’t tolerate being taken for granted. Use it [vote] to shake the ANC out of its complacency.”
She said that when the ANC was under pressure people in Seshego would stand a chance of getting electricity and flush toilets, instead of pit latrines.
“Perhaps then you will get your refuse removed and get running water for every household instead of having to share two taps between 2 500 families.”
She said every vote for the DA was a vote for delivery. — Sapa