LISTEN | Elections will be crossroad for South Africa, says Rise Mzansi's Songezo Zibi

New political kid on the block Rise Mzansi believes the 2024 elections represent a crossroad for the country.

The party, which flighted the first of its voter registration and campaign posters in Parktown, Johannesburg, on Thursday, completed its first policy convention two weeks ago.

Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi said he was confident in the South Africans who pledged their support, reaffirming their commitment to the party's vision of a safe, prosperous and united South Africa.

“The election of 2024 is as important, if not more important, than that of 1994. It is a moment in which South Africans must choose whether we are going to continue on this path of decline, lack of jobs, unemployment, hunger, general desperation and disaffection of young people.”

Zibi said the party believes the state of affairs has to change, and next year is when it must happen.

“It's important that we do what we did in 1994. In 1994 we had a country that was violent, an economy and politics that were broken, and South Africans then said: 'We are going to choose a different path, we are going to shape the future that we want, ourselves, and we are going to get the representatives that we want to build the country that we deserve' — that's what our slogan is all about.”

The popular “2024 is our 1994" slogan coined by Rise Mzansi has found expression in other political camps such as the EFF.

“We are very flattered that other political parties have seen the light and recognise the resonance of our message to South Africans. The reality is that next year's election is a crossroad for the country.

“If we don't vote the right way, if we don't get amasela [thugs] out of power, it will be very difficult to recover South Africa five years later.”

Zibi said his party was one of a few, if any, political organisations that understand that the political is personal.

“The political is a family issue, it is a community issue and unless politics solve the problems of every person, every family and every community, then politics is failing. That is why the organisers and volunteers of Rise Mzansi work in communities every single day.”

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