ANC does nothing but steal your money between elections: Zille

The ANC did nothing between elections except steal taxpayers money, Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille told a campaign rally.

"We will never allow the ANC to bring corruption back to the Western Cape," Zille told a mostly coloured crowd at the Bellville Velodrome, before urging them to ensure that the party retained power in the province.

"The ANC talks a lot at election time but they do nothing except steal your money in between elections."

Accusing the African National Congress of graft was a refrain from party leaders at the slick rally, as the DA awaits a ruling from the Election Court on the text message it sent to millions of people, stating that President Jacob Zuma stole public money to build his home at Nkandla.

DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko told the crowd of several thousand that the R243 million spent on improvements at Nkandla should have been used to uplift the poor and described Zuma's dismissal at ANC rallies of the Public Protector's findings that he reaped undue benefit from the project as arrogant.

"These are the laughs of a corrupt and arrogant ANC under President Jacob Zuma," she said.

"These are the laughs of an ANC in permanent decline... You can only fight corruption by voting for the DA."

Zille said the controversy summed up the current state of the ruling party.

"Nkandla is just a symbols of what the ANC has become. It is a party that is seeking to get as much as it can for itself and its leaders," she told reporters.

"Jacob Zuma deploys his loyal cadres into every top job. He looks after them and they in return in those positions, look after him."

Zille condemned the ruling on Friday by the Independent Communications Authority of SA's (Icasa) complaints and compliance committee upholding a complaint by the police on a DA election advert that contains a photo of a police officer shooting rubber bullets.

"It really is a incomprehensible ruling to me. We're going to seek a review," she said.

"The bottom line is we cannot accept that this president should stand, if you take material that is freely available in the public domain and

prevent a political party showing it because it has an impact, then we

are right in the realm of censorship."

Earlier, after singing and dancing as sparklers were set off, Zille reminded supporters that the DA had won the Western Cape by a whisker in 2009, securing just more than 50 percent of the vote.

"Ons het naelskraap gewen," she repeated in Afrikaans.

"We need every single DA vote to come out on May 7 and keep the Cape blue," she added.

Zille said it was essential that the DA retain power in the Western Cape on May 7 to show the rest of the country that it governs better than the ANC.

Retaining the province was a step towards claiming others and eventually governing South Africa.

"Every week is a step closer to Pretoria," she said.