Manifesto 'won't save ANC'

Political analysts have expressed doubt about the ANC manifesto and whether it will be able to arrest declining support for the party in the approaching general election.

"It is a lot of the same," said political and constitutional analyst Professor Shadrack Gutto. "I don't think there was anything substantially new. We have had calls to fight corruption and crime for so long it is like a broken record."

The results of an Ipsos survey, released on Saturday, show that the ruling party's support has dropped to an all-time low of 53%.

The poll showed ANC support, which was at 63% in November 2008, was down to 53% in November last year.

The poll showed that the DA has increased its support to 18%. The Economic Freedom Fighters are third, with 4%, and Agang SA and the African Christian Democratic Party are at 1% each.

In 1994, the ANC got 62.6% of the vote.

This increased to 66.4% in 1999 and 69.7% in 2004.

In 2009, ANC support dropped for the first time to 65.9%, attributed to Cope's formation.

Though he would not speculate about how the ANC would perform in the forthcoming elections, Gutto said the electorate would have to decide if it was pleased with the current leadership.

"There has been so much rottenness in government - violence in Marikana, violation of national key points, Nkandla ... all have shown that the leadership is wanting. The voters ought to make their own decision."

Presenting the ANC 2014 election manifesto in Nelspruit on Saturday, President Jacob Zuma told supporters that the government would tackle corruption in tendering for government contracts by establishing a tenders board to work with the chief procurement officer in the Treasury.

"People ought to be tired of new institutions being created," Gutto said.

"Their mandate, their power and the people chosen to run [these] institutions are already compromised, so nothing is new."

New political parties, such as the EFF and Agang SA, would struggle against the ANC, which uses state resources to campaign, Gutto said.

"If those parties try to stretch themselves throughout the country and at all levels it will be very tough for them.

"They should instead focus on certain areas and expand systematically."

Political analyst Mcebisi Ndletyana said political parties had to [react to] societal changes over time.

He described the ANC campaign slogan - "Together we move South Africa forward" - as uninspiring.

"It says nothing about what is required."