President mocks ‘little parties’ at Limpopo rally
While Malema tears into ‘institutionalised’ ANC corruption in Durban election meeting
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has made a mockery of the EFF’s claim that it was the government in waiting as he took the ANC’s election campaign to the red berets’ leader Julius Malema’s backyard in Limpopo.
With less than three weeks before the May 8 elections, campaigning is reaching fever pitch.
Ramaphosa spent the whole of yesterday addressing a number of community meetings in Malema’s hometown of Seshego, outside Polokwane, flanked by the ANC provincial chairperson, Premier Stan Mathabatha, and regional leaders.
This was while Malema returned to the ANC’s stronghold, KwaZuluNatal, where he has been canvassing votes since Monday. Today, Malema is expected to take his party’s campaign to Pietermaritzburg, the seat of the provincial legislature, which has experienced serious service delivery issues.
Addressing hundreds of ANC supporters clad in party regalia in Zone 1 – where Malema comes from – Ramaphosa called on Seshego residents to reject smaller parties that had ambitions to remove the ANC.
“We must back the ANC government to retain control of the province and the country. There must be no smaller, little parties that must think they can take over government,” Ramaphosa said.
“There are small parties claiming that they are the government in waiting. There is no government in waiting here. It is only the ANC that is waiting. South Africans in their numbers – and these small parties – will see that the ANC will return to power with an increased majority,” he added.
Since the 2014 general elections when it first contested power, the EFF has been eating into the ANC in the province, including Polokwane, where it secured 28% in the 2016 local polls, while the ANC fell from 79% to 57%.
He said the ANC was still the only party with a plan and the experience to take the country forward.
“Yes, there have been mistakes. We did make some mistakes on the way. But we have worked for the nation and many people can see that the ANC has made the difference,” Ramaphosa said.
He said while jobs would be top of the list of what the ANC would push to deliver after retaining power under his leadership, he would push for consequences for those who had looted public resources.
“Most of the things that people are saying we must fix, we are fixing, including governance at national level and at provincial and local government level. We want those who have been appointed to work for the public to do so, and not work for themselves and their family members. They must be trustworthy. The thieves … will end up where they deserve, with orange overalls,” Ramaphosa said.
Meanwhile, Malema lashed out at the ANC, saying that corruption was institutionalised in the ruling party, and instead of imprisoning corrupt leaders, they rewarded them with promotions.
Malema addressed hundreds of students at Durban University of Technology as part of his party’s campaign programme across Durban.
“You said Zuma is corrupt, Zuma must go. Zuma left and he was replaced by a new corruption of Bosasa. Why? Because the pot is the same. You cannot expect anything from the ANC or Sasco, or the Youth League, corruption is institutionalised.
“When you want to be promoted in the ANC you must be the most corrupt, then they are going to remove you and put you in the legislature. When you steal more in the legislature as MEC, they remove you and take you to Parliament,” Malema said.
ANC spokesperson Dakota Legoete could not be reached for comment.