Cape Town - For the first time, South African voters will be given three ballot papers during the elections, not the usual two national and provincial; however, they will see an extra ballot paper for independent candidates who are contesting these elections under no party affiliation.
It is unclear if these candidates will have enough votes to get a seat in the National Assembly in these heavily contested elections as most of them are hardly known.
The candidate lists were made public by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) on March 27, which revealed 10 independent candidates.
Out of these 10, only one candidate is contesting the regional seats for the Western Cape, and that is the well-known activist and film director Zackie Achmat, who is also the co-founder of the Treatment Action Campaign.
The independent candidates were allowed to contest the elections after President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Electoral Amendment Bill into law.
In this independent candidate race, Achmat will be joined by the likes of former Congress of the People's (Cope) Member of Parliament Anele Mda, former boxing champion Lovemore Ndou, Ntakadzeni Phathela and Lehlohonolo Blessings Ramoba, the president of the Mining Forum of SA.
Other candidates are not that popular, and it is really difficult to tell what they stand for and if they have what it takes to win a seat in their regions.
Among many of his promises, Achmat said he would fix Prasa, Eskom and Sassa, “as these entities have all suffered from corruption and have failed to deliver quality services to the people”.
He added, “This has devastating consequences for jobs, lives and the economy. A state that delivers quality services is vital for dignified lives, economic growth and creating jobs.”
His #ReclaimParliament campaign states that widespread state capture and corruption have weakened Parliament’s oversight and accountability.
“To counter this, Zackie will begin to reclaim Parliament and hold accountable politicians, officials and those running state entities. He will work with other MPs of integrity to ensure the corrupt, the incompetent, and those squandering resources face the consequences.
“Additionally, he aims to bring the voices of hard-working, long-suffering South Africans into Parliament. He will open the doors to Parliament to let you in,” he said, referring to himself.
Mda, who is contesting under #TheUncapturedActivist, was suspended by Cope back in 2009 for racist remarks she made against the then deputy president of the party. She said she is a committed advocate for clean governance, accountability, and the eradication of nepotism, cronyism, patronage and corruption in our political landscape.
“I am wholeheartedly dedicated to bringing much-needed change to our national parliament. By standing as an independent candidate, I am committed to upholding the values of integrity, transparency and service to the people of South Africa. However, as an independent candidate, I face the challenge of limited resources, particularly when it comes to procuring election-related materials vital to disseminating my message to the electorate,” she said.
According to political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe, the political space is very crowded, and the only independent candidates that have been involved in their own communities have no chance at all.
“Most of the votes will be wasted on new parties and individuals with no track record. I think people have moved on, and Zackie Achmat will always be credited for the role he played in the fight against HIV/Aids. He needs to be seen as a champion of a number of causes beyond health-related issues. He might have traction in the Western Cape, but he, so far, has little national presence,” he said.
Other candidates contesting the elections include Bongani Cibi, Tshepo Mogano, Ramotswabodi Sesing, Thanasagren Moodley and Matsobane Mokonyane.