ANC upbeat ahead of 2021 elections after by-elections boost: Fikile Mbalula
Party took 70 of the 95 wards that were up for grabs
The ANC believes that its good showing in this week's by-elections is a sign of good things to come in next year's local government elections.
This is according to the ANC head of elections Fikile Mbalula, who was briefing the media on Thursday. Mbalula said it was pleasing that South Africans still chose the liberation movement as their party of choice after it retained most of its wards and wrestled a few from the DA.
These results, said Mbalula, are an important “yardstick” in the ANC's planning and messaging towards the 2021 election.
The party won 70 of the 95 wards that were up for grabs, five more wards than those it won in 2016 before the vacancies that occasioned the by-elections.
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to grow SA together and making 'a better life for all' a living reality,” said Mbalula, adding that among other strides the party was making was “tackling corruption”.
He went on: “We dubbed this election as a precursor to the 2021 elections and to us it was a dry run. We have come out tops, winning new wards, but we are not complacent.
“Our people continue to raise sharply with us issues of service delivery, which we are going to be focusing on, but they continue to show support to their movement because they have confidence in the ANC to rectify its own mistakes.
“The ANC remains confident that with the support of our people we will continue to lead and rectify our mistakes.”
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