Cape Town - There are only four days to what is said to be the most important election since 1994 and voter confidence remains at an all-time low.
The commission of inquiry into state capture, Eskom load shedding in March and rising unemployment rate have all had an impact on voter apathy, particularly among the youth.
To make matters worse, the ANC’s national list included people like Environmental Affairs Minister Nomvula Mokonyane, who allegedly received gifts including R50 000 a month for many years from Bosasa. It also included Minister in the Presidency Bathabile Dlamini and former finance minister Malusi Gigaba, whose names have also come up in the state capture inquiry.
According to the 2019 Q1 South African Citizens Survey report released late last month and based on an expected turn-out of 77%, 4% more than the 2014 voter turn-out, EFF support has risen to 11%, which is 2% more than what it was in February this year. The survey also revealed that the number of apathetic voters in South Africa has reached an all-time high. More than 5 million registered voters, or about 19%, are unmotivated ahead of the upcoming election.
ANC provincial spokesman Faiez Jacobs said the party was expecting a clean sweep next week.
“We have taken note of different polls. The real poll will be on May 8 when our people will go to different voting stations to vote for the party that brought liberation and democracy to South Africa, the ANC.”
The ANC is expected to win 53-56% of the vote, which is a drop from the 62.15% it got in the 2014 general elections. In the same elections, the DA secured over 22% of the vote, but the survey predicts that will drop to around 13% in Wednesday’s election.
According to the survey, Ramaphosa’s favourability rating has held steady despite commotion in his party, and sits at 57%, up from 55% at the end of last year.
DA leader Mmusi Maimane is at 28% and EFF leader Julius Malema is right behind at 27%.
EFF provincial chairman Melikhaya Xhego said the party’s growth could be “attributed to the tireless engagement with poor people, listening to their concerns and also responding through mass actions to ensure that their challenges and concerns are handled by the EFF”.
Jacobs remained confident and said: “Our focus now is not on forming coalitions, but to give the president the decisive victory that he is calling for. The EFF and the DA are in coalition in Johannesburg and Tshwane. The EFF, like the DA, bubbles with resentment against the ANC.”
DA communications manager Mireille Wenger said the party “wants to keep the Western Cape DA and keep the ANC and EFF out of the Western Cape. It will be a close race and that is why it is important that citizens turn out and vote DA”.
“Voters have a choice between a vote for DA service delivery and clean government, or a vote to let the ANC back into government with a smaller party,” said Wenger.
“We can unlock so much economic potential in this province. We can have abundant energy, but only if we take over electricity generation from the ANC. We can give every child a world-class education, but only if we protect our schools from the ANC.
“We can continue providing excellent health care, but only if we protect our healthcare system from the ANC. We can deliver more housing and basic services, but only if we oppose the policies of the ANC. We can get the trains to run on time, but only if we take over the rail service from the ANC. We can win the war on crime, but only if we take over policing from the ANC,” she added.