The election season peaks on Wednesday when millions of South Africans head to the voting stations to make their X.
Since the turn of the year, political parties have been declaring war against each other and making all sorts of promises – but now it’s in the hands of the voters.
However, the big question is who will be named president after the votes are counted later this week.
Top contender in the green, black and yellow of the ANC is incumbent President Cyril Ramaphosa. Deemed a hero and saviour heading into his first presidential term, he was found wanting during the Covid-19 pandemic when the country needed a decisive leader.
Despite surviving the Phala Phala robbery scandal, the people have lost faith in him.
Next is DA leader John Steenhuisen. Like Build One SA founder Mmusi Maimane before him, the DA leader talks the talk without making much of an impact. He simply doesn’t have the presidential thing. His party is still seen as predominantly white, and without the black vote, it will be hard for him to win an election.
The DA is part of the Multi-Party Charter (MPC), but Steenhuisen recently condemned fellow member parties vying for power in the DA-governed Western Cape, a move said to have caused internal divisions.
It speaks volumes that FF+ leader Pieter Groenewald disclosed that the parties in the MPC endorsed IFP leader Velenkosi Hlabisa as president should they win the majority of votes.
Then there is Julius Malema, leader of the EFF and an eloquent speaker who believes his party is ready to govern the country. Like it’s the case at municipal level, the EFF is destined to be kingmaker.
Take note – Malema could be deputy president if the ANC loses its majority and goes into coalition with the EFF as predicted.
Even if the MPC wins the majority of votes, Hlabisa may not be president unless the IFP joins forces with the EFF. Watch the red berets closely these elections.
The MK Party of Jacob Zuma is expected to eat into some of the ANC’s votes, but to think it will govern the country is taking matters too far. The former president was, after all, “frog-marched” from the Union Buildings; what on earth makes him a presidential hopeful now?
May the best party emerge victorious and lead us to the promised land.
Cape Times