Political parties launch election campaigns

A number of parties launched their local government election manifestos at the weekend. Leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party Mangosuthu Buthelezi said in Durban the IFP would not hesitate to dismiss any of its councillors who engaged in corruption or who did not deliver services. The IFP has lost control of some of the municipalities it won in KwaZulu-Natal during the last local government elections during the floor crossing period. IFP candidates have now been asked to make pledges of honour in which they promise not to cross the floor and to fight corruption.

In Athlone in Cape Town, the African Christian Democratic Party introduced its mayoral candidates when the party’s manifesto was launched. Cape Town candidate Pauline Cupido said the ACDP would turn the Mother City into a God-friendly, rather than gay-friendly city. She added that the ACDP would turn Cape Town into an efficiently run, world-class city. She said the present political leadership of Cape Town did not care about the needs of the people.

In Delmas, the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania said it would offer people dedicated councillors. PAC president Motsoko Pheko warned that greedy councillors would destroy South Africa. He said the PAC believed that councillors were elected not just to run services, but also to see to the interests and needs of the people. He promised that the poor would come first should the PAC come to power.