South Africa's Top Parties Make Final Election Pitches
Major political parties in South Africa hold their final campaign rallies, with leaders setting out contrasting visions ahead of local government elections.
At a glance
- President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted the ANC record on service delivery and ending load shedding during a rally in the Eastern Cape.
- DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis urged voters to make his party the biggest in the election to drive national recovery.
- MK party leader Jacob Zuma used his first public appearance after hospitalization to attack the Government of National Unity.
South Africa's major political parties staged their final campaign rallies this weekend, making competing pitches to voters ahead of local government elections. Leaders of the African National Congress, Democratic Alliance, and uMkhonto Wesizwe party addressed large crowds to secure support.
The rallies highlighted starkly different strategies, ranging from defending government records and promising better local implementation to attacking coalition arrangements and calling for historic political shifts.
Competing pitches from the major parties
President Cyril Ramaphosa defended the ANC record while speaking to crowds gathered at Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, pointing to expanded access to basic services and the end of load shedding. He acknowledged shortcomings and youth unemployment while urging voters to elect capable local councillors.
In Pretoria, DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis framed the election as a two-horse race between the ANC and the DA. He asked voters to help his party overtake the ANC nationally and warned against supporting smaller parties that could enable ANC returns through coalitions.
Meanwhile, MK party leader Jacob Zuma spoke at the Princess Magogo Stadium in Durban. In his first public appearance since being hospitalized, Zuma criticized the Government of National Unity and reiterated claims regarding past elections.
Understanding the stakes of the local vote
These final rallies crystallize a fractured political landscape where traditional dominance faces serious challenges from both established opposition and newer populist forces. The outcome will test whether the ANC can retain local authority amid voter frustration, whether the DA can expand beyond its traditional strongholds to claim national momentum, and how much disruption the MK party can effect in key regions.
What to watch: Voters head to the polls on Wednesday for the local government elections.
Reporting from: Daily Maverick. Spotted an error? Tell us.
- Elections
- Local Government
- Political Campaigns
- South Africa
- Politics