Maimane rejects IRR poll
DA LEADER, Mmusi Maimane, has rejected the election poll by the SA Institute of Race Relations (IRR), which indicated that it was not succeeding in making inroads into ANC strongholds.
Maimane was yesterday taking the DA’s campaign to Tembisa, flanked by the party’s premier candidate, Solly Msimanga, as part of the ongoing battle for Gauteng ahead of the May general elections.
His visit to the area comes just a day after President Cyril Ramaphosa and ANC officials, held election campaign events throughout the province.
In its latest poll, the IRR has described Gauteng’s electoral landscape as intriguingly balanced, as all the three major parties – the ANC (41.6%), DA (32.4%) and EFF (18.2%) – were not set to get above 50% but appeared to be able to form a majority coalition.
Speaking at Ehlanzeni Hostel, Maimane said the poll, which said the EFF was the only opposition party that was able to make direct in-roads into the ANC support base, was wrong.
“We are comfortable enough to know that we are the only party that is growing.
“I think the IRR poll is inaccurate because, as it says the ANC is now down to 41%, where did those voters go? We are the only party that can grow in Centurion as it will in Soshanguve,” he said.
Maimane also pointed out that the official opposition would rather not be able to dislodge the ANC in Gauteng if it would have to compromise on its principles in order to do it.
He said while the EFF had assisted the DA to remove the ANC in key metros, he would not allow his party to be bullied by the red berets in order to secure their support should any need to form a coalition provincial government arise.
“I would rather be in opposition. We are in government for the people.
“Where we can be proud is that where the DA has been in government, we have not implemented EFF policies, yet the ANC without being in coalition, wants to implement EFF policies. Coalitions require principle, which is the principle of non-racialism, constitutionalism and the rule of law, including the idea that we will eradicate corruption and build a capable state,” Maimane said.
He accused the EFF of trying to bully the DA into compromising its principles by threatening to remove it from metros, including in the Nelson Mandela Bay, where the DA’s Athol Trollip was voted out with the assistance of the EFF.
“The EFF said to us that they are going to cut the throat of whiteness. That is racism. They came to Parliament and said if we are not willing to vote with them on expropriation of land without compensation, they will remove us in Nelson Mandela Bay. Now they have installed a coalition of corruption there,” he said.