Rivals in presidential race woo supporters

EKURHULENI, east of Johannesburg, became a battleground when presidential hopefuls Cyril Ramaphosa and Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma addressed supporters yesterday.

The two leaders were a few kilometres apart, with Ramaphosa speaking at a memorial lecture on Oliver Tambo in Tembisa, while Dlamini Zuma addressed a prayer gathering against children and women abuse in Germiston.

Ramaphosa, who called for the ANC not to be handed over to thieves, was with ANC Gauteng provincial secretary Hope Papo, ANC MP and former Ekurhuleni mayor Mondli Gungubele, a fierce critic of President Jacob Zuma, and Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi, among other leaders.

On her campaign trail, Dlamini Zuma was accompanied by ANC Women’s League president Bathabile Dlamini, ANC Youth League secretary-general Njabulo Nzuza and uMkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans’ Association spokesperson Carl Niehaus.

Ramaphosa said the region was important as it was the industrial hub and economic engine of Gauteng. He admitted that the ANC was currently at its lowest ebb, due to many ills such as factionalism, corruption and not moving with speed in policy implementation.

Ramaphosa lashed out against state capture, saying corruption had become entrenched in the public sector. “This is where state capture has been happening with debilitating effects and where resources have been misplaced, looted and stolen.

“This is where money has been disappearing. We are saying we want our money back,” he said to loud applause.

Speaking at the Germiston Stadium, Dlamini Zuma said radical economic transformation would be instrumental in levelling out the economic playing field. “The ANC said the land must be returned to the people, the Freedom Charter states that the land must be returned to those who live in it. We need land, not just for our people but for women as well because we have the responsibilities of taking care of families and it isn’t easy,” she said.