'Tshwane is back': Mabuza in jovial mood as he makes final election push

The mood in Tshwane suggests the city will be under ANC control after the elections on Monday, deputy president David Mabuza told Mamelodi residents.

Addressing one of various Siyanqoba rallies the party held on Friday, Mabuza said he was confident of victory in the capital.

The party lost Tshwane to the DA in 2016 by a small margin, with the DA receiving 43.15% of the votes while the ANC got 41.25%.

He asked the crowd how many ballot papers they will be getting at the voting station, to which the crowd responded, “Two”. He then asked who they will voting for on the two ballots and they screamed, “ANC”.

“Once you do that, Tshwane is back,” Mabuza said to rapturous applause.

He told scores of residents that he and other leaders have worked hard to convince those in Tshwane to vote for the ANC on Monday.

 “You saw me going around here, even the president [Cyril Ramaphosa] came. Were busy going up and down. We were looking for Tshwane.

“Now, I can feel the atmosphere is saying Tshwane is back. I can feel the atmosphere. They [opposition parties] can also feel it, and they are now nowhere to be seen. I walked all over the place and could not spot any of them. I go this side I come across ANC, I go that side I see ANC,” Mabuza said.

Mabuza spent most of his campaign in Tshwane doing door-to-door visits, where he took stock of the issues the different communities grappled with.

From provision of water, housing and jobs, Mabuza listened and made promises. He was at pains to try convince residents that the governing party in Tshwane was the DA and that to see the changes they desired, they had to vote for the ANC.

According to Mabuza, there were a lot of people from other political parties who, during his campaign in Tshwane, gave up their party T-shirts for ANC ones.

“I've come across others who gave their blue T-shirts...  Others give me their red T-shirts. It means they have fled and are now with the ANC,” he said.

Mabuza pleaded with the people of Tshwane to vote in large numbers on Monday, saying a lot of blood was spilt and people were jailed for this right.

“The freedom and the right for us to vote and choose the people we want to lead must be protected because it didn't just come, blood was spilt. When they say it's time to vote, stand up and go vote.

“I hear people today saying they are not going to vote. They have forgotten that we fought for this right,” Mabuza said.

Mabuza also touched on internal party politics, saying it was time factionalism in the ANC ended. This could be an indication of how he is thinking ahead of the party's elective conference next year, as he has already indicated his desire for a second term.

Mabuza attempted to end factionalism at the ANC's 2017 Nasrec conference where he told those from his home province to split their votes equally for the faction in support of Cyril Ramaphosa, the CR17, and the one supporting Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the NDZ.

This saw Ramaphosa emerge as victor.

The decision has further entrenched factionalism in the party with those against Ramaphosa's leadership labelling themselves the radical economic transformation (RET).

“This thing that there is RET, there is CR17, there is NDZ, that thing must come to an end. Let's protect the ANC because you all belong to the ANC,” he said.

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