The African National Congress, ANC, which is in power in South Africa, began its election campaign on Saturday in an effort to maintain its three-decade rule and quell public outrage over high unemployment and a weak economy.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s African National Congress (ANC), which has been in power since the onset of democracy in 1994, has seen a severe decrease in support due to accusations of mismanagement and corruption.
Nonetheless, the party is still a powerful force in the nation, with members in most governmental branches, and many South Africans are still filled with pride over its leadership in the fight against apartheid.
“Over the next three months we will explain to millions of our people why the ANC remains the party of choice in the 2024 election,” Ramaphosa declared at the launch of his party’s manifesto for the May 29 general election.
“In the next 50 years, the legacies of apartheid colonialism and patriarchy, which still loom large in South Africa, will be a matter of history. Our confidence rests on that.”
Ramaphosa acknowledged that some party members have been found wanting in recent scandals, and vowed that candidates for elected posts would be rigorously screened.
“Yes, when our members make mistakes, we will correct them. We will make sure that they do the right thing,” he said. “Yes, we are renewing ourselves … We are becoming better.”
Tens of thousands of people dressed in the ANC’s yellow and green colours packed into a soccer stadium in the port city of Durban.
They had arrived from the early morning, proud on this day despite the ANC’s shrinking opinion poll lead.
“We were born under this political party and we will go through everything with it,” said 30-year-old Sthabile Nxumalo, who runs a cosmetic business, as she queued to enter the venue with her sister.
The ANC faces an uphill battle to keep its parliamentary majority, with polls showing it particularly vulnerable in Durban’s KwaZulu-Natal — a key electoral battleground.
The province is home to former president Jacob Zuma, who, long resentful about the way he was forced out of office, has joined an opposition group seeking to cut into the ANC’s vote share.
