The atmosphere in Thembisa Square, the nerve centre of Wesselton township’s volatile ward five, on Tuesday took on the air of a carnival procession as the National Freedom Party (NFP) invited Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) candidates to participate in a public show of solidarity ahead of Wednesday’s local government elections.
NFP ward candidate Beauty Buthelezi and provincial chairperson Sindisiwe Mashinini publicly shook hands with PAC ward five candidate Jabulani Mashinini in front of the same square where police and protesters squared off in February in the Mpumalanga township in a series of protests reportedly sparked by poor service delivery and a row over the African National Congress’s (ANC) candidate list.
This show of solidarity took place against the backdrop of an intensifying call for a stayaway from the polls by disgruntled ANC members who watched the odd spectacle before convening at the nearby Bashele Primary School a few minutes later.
An optimistic Buthelezi felt there was an increased chance of an upset as the ANC was at war with itself in the ward. “It’s an added opportunity to service the public according to their needs,” she said.
“The ANC called the police on these children instead of listening to them,” she said in reference to February’s rampant claims of police brutality.
Gaining ground
The provincial chairperson added that, in the meantime, the NFP had been gaining ground in the area, with a recent rally in April reportedly attended by more than 3 000 people. As for visibility, NFP posters competed prominently for space with ANC and Democratic Alliance posters in quite a few wards.
The PAC’s Mashinini said that while he had heard of calls for a stayaway from the polls, he was confident that people would support the polls. “On Friday, while electioneering, we advised would-be voters to give their votes to some other candidates if they did not want the situation to worsen.
“We all grew up here and experienced all these things that are being complained about,” he added. “The best way of people showing their dissatisfaction is by voting for other parties.”
Elsewhere in the township, last-minute electioneering was in full swing, but it appeared that the township would remain an ANC stronghold.
An enthusiastic ward three Congress of the People candidate gave an impassioned, rehearsed speech about why Ermelo was “rotten to the core” inside a woman’s yard, but was soon asked to leave by the woman’s husband, who explained that he would vote for the ANC regardless of allegations of undemocratically installed candidates.
Regional ANC secretary Muzi Chirwa said the party was expecting “full-blown turnout” in all the wards. “Watch this space,” he said confidently. Tomorrow [Wednesday] you will see people going to vote.”
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