WATCH: 'Let's do it for Madiba and ensure a DA victory'

Despite coming under intense fire for appropriating Nelson Mandela's name in its election campaign, the DA has pinned its closing message to voters on the former president's legacy.

Yesterday, party leader Mmusi Maimane delivered a speech titled "Do it for Madiba" to the 20,000-strong crowd gathered at the DA's final rally, in Dobsonville, Soweto.

"We are the only party that is carrying the values of Nelson Mandela forward. We are doing it for Madiba," Maimane told the crowd.

This was not the first time the party has used Mandela's name to canvass support.

Mandela formed a significant part of its billboard election campaign for the local government elections on Wednesday and it used his image and name in its TV and radio ad campaigns.

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In his hour-long speech, Maimane made reference to Mandela by name at least 30 times.

"So let's do it for Madiba on Wednesday. Let us choose clean government. Let us choose jobs. Let us choose service delivery for all," the DA leader said.

Mandela was not the only ANC stalwart's name used by Maimane in his speech.

He referred to former Umkhonto weSizwe chief of staff and SACP boss Chris Hani and former president Thabo Mbeki as he tried to convince people not to vote for the ruling party.

On Friday, President Jacob Zuma fiercely criticised the DA in an address in Soweto, saying: "They use the name of our veterans because their veterans are Verwoerd, PW Botha and De Klerk."

The Mandela family has also rebuked the DA for using Mandela's name in its campaign.

The ANC has turned to using Mandela's words in an effort to fight back against the DA, quoting Mandela when he referred to the DA as a party of "white bosses and black stooges".

But the DA has remained defiant, with party leaders insisting that the DA stands for what Mandela stood for.

Every leader who spoke at the Dobsonville rally referred to Mandela, and Maimane said Mandela belonged to all South Africans.

"In a democracy, you don't need to be loyal to a party forever.

"When a party betrays you, you have a chance to punish it. A vote is not a tattoo that stays with you forever, or that everybody can see," he said.

In a message that sought to be a show of force, Maimane said victory was certain in Tshwane, Johannesburg and Nelson Mandela Bay.

"It has never been so close. It is so close I can taste victory," he said.

The DA has focused its election campaign and resources in these three municipalities, with its own polls showing that it can reduce the ANC's majority.

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DA election campaign chief Jonathan Moakes defended the party's use of Mandela's name, saying the former ANC president belonged to all South Africans.

"As the father of our democracy, Madiba belongs to all South Africans.

"Also, it is not about the person, but rather the values he stood for, and the DA is the only party that continues to honour his ideals and legacy," he said.

The DA campaign was focused on substance rather than show , said Moakes .

"We are very positive about the effects of our campaign. Our canvassing shows we succeeded in presenting a proactive, clear offer to voters.

"We chose substance over show, and volume of a truthful, substantive message over time," he said.

The DA produced most of its campaign material in-house, using advertising agency King James Group only to fine-tune the creative look of the final product. - Additional Reporting by Jan-Jan Joubert

hunterq@sundaytimes.co.za