It was a case of smiles and cheers for the EFF and tough crowd for ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa, whose voter registration drive was not as smooth as that of the EFF in Soweto at the weekend.
On Saturday, Ramaphosa led an ANC voter registration campaign in Soweto where met citizens who complained of service delivery challenges in their communities.
Ramaphosa’s visit to the country’s biggest township came just as polling stations across the country opened their doors to let would-be voters register or check their details as part of a two-day exercise to encourage voters to take part in the upcoming general elections.
Ramaphosa was not the only politician who visited the township on Saturday. Leader of the EFF Julius Malema was met with cheers and jubilation when he took part in a voter registration and elections campaign in Orlando East, Soweto.
During his visit to Hitekani Primary School, Malema urged the youth to take part in the elections, adding that there is no no-go area for the red berets, which is why they are campaigning in Soweto and other parts of the country.
“Once we take Soweto, South Africa is gone. That’s why we are here. There is no no-go area for the EFF. In our own discipline, our members are told not to stop other parties from campaigning. We are calling on other parties to be tolerant,” he said.
However, for the ANC, one resident told Ramaphosa how the party had forgotten about them in the last 30 years, only to return once it was time for voting.
According to media reports, a resident identified as Tshepo Tsosane lashed out at Ramaphosa.
“I think it’s too late. You have neglected us for 30 years. You never wanted to know for us for 30 years. You want to know about our plight, now? What have you been doing all along?”
In spite of some backlash from some members of the community, Ramaphosa said he was confident that the ANC would do well in the elections, adding that the party takes service delivery to the township seriously.
Ramaphosa, who was in the company of Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi as well as ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, urged party officials to go out in their numbers to campaign for the ANC.
“Go out and campaign as hard as possible so that we can show them the ANC is the only party that can continue governing this party,” he said.
The Star