By Zukile Majova
- ANC brings top leaders to Saldanha Bay as it fights to keep voters loyal.
- Mokonyane leads door-to-door drive despite her ‘smallanyana skeletons’.
The ANC is sending in its heavy hitters to Saldanha Bay in a desperate bid to keep its support alive ahead of a small but crucial by-election.
Instead of relying on local councillors, the party has deployed top national and provincial leaders to campaign in Ward 1, Middlepos, as trust in councillors continues to drop.
Over the weekend, ANC MPs and provincial leaders kicked off the campaign trail before bringing in first deputy secretary Nomvula Mokonyane to lead the charge.
Mokonyane, who was named at the State Capture Commission for her “smallanyana skeletons”, led the Siyanqoba Rally on Sunday, joined by MPs Nonceba Mhlauli, Thandi Mahambehlala, and national executive member Khusela Diko.
She also knocked on doors in the ward, urging residents to vote ANC in the 19 March by-election.
The party is still licking its wounds after a heavy loss in KwaZulu-Natal, where Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party grabbed a ward from the ANC in Richmond. ANC support in that ward plummeted from 84% to 39%.
Zuma’s MK party is now eyeing new territory in the Western Cape, though it’s yet to win a seat in the province.
An ANC official admitted: “People don’t trust councillors anymore. They want to hear directly from national leaders.”
Mokonyane, despite her past scandals, continues to brand herself as part of the ANC’s renewal campaign to clean up corruption and reconnect with communities.
The ANC is also fighting to hold on to seats in Johannesburg’s Joubert Park and Joe Morolong in the Northern Cape, as the party battles waning support in key areas ahead of the national elections.
Pictured above: ANC’s Nomvula Mokonyane leads the Siyanqoba Rally in Saldanha Bay.
Image source: @MYANC
