The country’s two biggest parties turned their attention to the Eastern Cape’s two metros in a final push before next week’s local government elections.
The African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) sent their leaders to the Nelson Mandela Bay and Buffalo City metros, as both parties try to secure a majority in the two regional economic hubs.
The latest polls show how the two metros will be hotly contested, with no clear winner expected.
The ANC will also hold its final “Siyanqoba rally” to conclude its election campaign in Kugompo City in the Buffalo City metro on Sunday.
The ANC will head to Buffalo City with the prospect of losing its outright majority in the metro, with recent polls putting it well below the required 51%.
The ANC Women’s League is also hosting a national prayer session in the metro on Thursday.
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But the DA has focused its attention on the Nelson Mandela Bay metro about 300 kilometres away, holding a final rally in Gqeberha.
Party leader Geordin Hill-Lewis said the final sprint should get them the majority in the metro that has been under a coalition for 10 years.
“We can turn it around forever,” Hill-Lewis said. “It can be the first metro outside of Cape Town that has a solid DA majority government.”
Hill-Lewis and the party’s mayoral candidate, Retief Odendaal, said this would be a make-or-break election for the metro plagued by political instability.
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Babalo Ndenze
www.ewn.co.za