The Elections Thread - 7 May 2014

[LazyLion]

DA TO APPEAL 'FOOD PARCELS' COURT RULING

The DA on Saturday said it would appeal a court dismissal of its application to prevent food parcels from Sassa allegedly being distributed at political rallies.

"We will appeal that judgment in the Electoral Court in Bloemfontein, also on an urgent basis, because this abuse has got to stop," said Democratic Alliance MP James Selfe.

He said the party was currently waiting to receive the reasons for judgment.

On Friday, the Western Cape High Court dismissed, with costs, an application by the DA to interdict the SA Social Security Agency and the ANC from providing food parcels which it claimed were being given out at political events -- including one in Atlantis -- as an incentive for votes.

The African National Congress on Saturday welcomed the court's dismissal saying it believed the ruling was a "major blow to the DA's desperate attempts to cling to power in the Western Cape".


Source : Sapa /ml/gq
Date : 03 May 2014 13:00

 

[LazyLion]

PROMISES AND INSULTS FLY AT RALLIES

Promises were made and insults at opposition parties hurled during political party rallies held across the country on Saturday, the fifth day before South Africans head to the polls.

The thousands of "bluenamis" gathered at the Democratic Alliance's final rally at the Coca Cola Dome in Johannesburg were told by party leader Helen Zille that they had the power to dismiss a government if they were unhappy with its service delivery.

"Remember that in a democracy, the government is supposed to work for you... You hire with your vote and you fire with your vote."

Gauteng premier candidate Mmusi Maimane urged people not to waste their vote on potentially fly-by-night parties.

"South Africans must not be fooled by one election wonders. We are not guaranteed that they [EFF] will be around in 2019," he told reporters at the event.

He promised that if the DA won Gauteng, a referendum on whether e-tolls should continue would be held.

He also said that, if elected, he would create "hundreds of thousands of apprenticeships" and build new schools in the province.

Meanwhile at the Bekkersdal sports ground, African National Congress chairwoman Baleka Mbete said that the DA in the Western Cape was concerned with helping white people.

"What are the priorities for them are the issues of privileged white people... Black communities are not a priority to the DA," she told those gathered at the rally in the township west of Johannesburg.

Mbete said that government had become "more hands on.

"We will engage," she said.

Speaking in Mthatha, in the Eastern Cape, United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa deemed the "last years of ANC rule" a "tragedy" and the executives in government as "shameless".

Holomisa said that, if he came into power in the Eastern Cape, he would turn it into a "model province in terms of all development goals".

Agang SA held a media briefing on Saturday in central Johannesburg, while African Christian Democratic Party president Kenneth Meshoe spoke at a rally in Atteridgeville.

It was also announced on Saturday that President Jacob Zuma would be casting his vote on Wednesday in Nkandla, in Kwazulu-Natal. Zuma has a traditional homestead located in the area.


Source : Sapa /ml/ns
Date : 03 May 2014 17:58

 

[LazyLion]

DON'T BE FOOLED BY ONE-ELECTION WONDERS: MAIMANE

People should not waste their votes on parties that could potentially be one-election wonders, DA Gauteng premier candidate Mmusi Maimane said on Saturday.

Maimane wrote off the Economic Freedom Fighters in the battle for control of Gauteng, saying it would be a two-horse race between the Democratic Alliance and the African National Congress.

"South Africans must not be fooled by one-election wonders. We are not guaranteed that they [EFF] will be around in 2019," he told reporters after the party's final rally at the Coca Cola Dome in Johannesburg.

"As a voter, you need to ask which party can take the fight to the ANC and which party is growing."

He gave examples of parties mushrooming ahead of the elections which tended to disappear. He said the Congress of the People was one such party.

Maimane called on people to vote for a party that had a track record and the credibility to fight corruption.

"With the EFF, I'm not so sure," he said.

Speaking about e-tolls, Maimane said should the DA win Gauteng, there would be a referendum for motorists to decide on what should be done with the gantries.

"We will fight e-tolls with all our power. And we will give you the decision by having a referendum to vote directly against e-tolls," he said.

He said people were not given the opportunity to vote when they were put in place.

"A referendum must be put on the table and let people vote. This country stands on Constitution and rule of law."

During his address to the thousands of "Bluenami" who had filled the Coca Cola Dome, Maimane said unemployment was lowest in areas where the party governed.

"This is what I want to bring to the economic hub of this country... as the next premier of Gauteng. We will create hundreds of thousands of apprenticeships. They will be available to young people in the private sector."

He said the current government was working against entrepreneurs, but under the DA, large tenders would be broken down into smaller ones so that businesses could compete.

"We can't have small businesses struggling to pay rent. Small businesses with promising ideas need offices. And under the DA they will be able to rent space from the DA Gauteng government at just R1 a year."

Maimane said the DA would push for equal quality of education for all, adding that liberation should start in the classroom.

"We will upgrade our schools, and we will build new schools that focus on maths, science, and technology. No more will the child in Soweto receive an inferior education to the child in Sandton," he said.

Maimane promised to cut corruption and save the province billions of rands. By cutting corruption and wasteful expenditure, the party would save Gauteng R6 billion, he said.

Party leader Helen Zille told supporters that voters had the power to fire government when they were not happy with service delivery.

"Remember that in a democracy, the government is supposed to work for you. You hire it. And you can fire it. And we know how it's done: You hire with your vote and you fire with your vote."

She said if government was doing its work properly, South Africa would attract more investment and the economy would grow faster to create jobs.

When a government became corrupt the economy declined, unemployment grew, poverty deepened and the powerful few got richer, she added.

She said under President Jacob Zuma, the African National Congress had changed.

DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko said the country deserved better.

She told the rally how she had walked for kilometres with women from Podile in Limpopo to collect water at a stream they shared with animals.

"We have seen in my home province of KwaZulu-Natal where the money goes when it is not being spent on delivering to our people. It goes to building a palace worth R249 million for President Jacob Zuma."

Mazibuko said Zuma's cows lived in more security than the people of the province. The place where his chickens lived was more luxurious than the homes of the people who elected him, she added.


Source : Sapa /kn/gq/th
Date : 03 May 2014 16:57

 

[LazyLion]

ELECTION LAW-BREAKERS FACE JAIL OR FINES

People who are arrested for election-related offences face penalties including jail time and hefty fines, the SA Police Service said on Saturday.

"They [the offences] carry a penalty of up to R100,000 or five years imprisonment," said national police spokesman Lt-Gen Solomon Makgale.

He said the criminal acts ranged from intimidation and the interruption of political meetings, to the pulling down or defacement of political party election posters.

Makgale said the most recent figure for the total number of arrests was 50 people. An updated amount would be released on Monday.

The North West was the province with the highest number of arrests for election-related offences, he said.

On Saturday, the government communication and information system (GCIS) said the number of areas identified as sites of possible political tension during the May 7 elections had gone down.

"The number of hotspots across the country has significantly decreased," said GCIS CEO Phumla Williams said in a statement.

"This is informed by the interventions made over the past weeks as a direct consequence of the work by security agencies on the ground".

Over the past two weeks, various ministers and officials have visited areas including Kwa-Mashu and Wembezi in KwaZulu-Natal, Mannenberg in the Western Cape, Sterskpruit in the Eastern Cape, Freedom Park and Itsoseng in North West and Bekkersdal in Gauteng.

During their visits, the ministers and officials -- all from the security cluster -- had "noted few incidents of instability", said Williams.

She said that "no tolerance" would be shown to anyone who disrupted the elections.

"No one will be allowed to prevent anyone from exercising his or her constitutionally-enshrined right to vote."

Earlier this week, the police said that the elections would be safe.

At the time, Makgale said that police would be deployed to every voting station in the country.

President Jacob Zuma's office has also announced that some 2000 troops have been deployed to assist police during the election and presidential inauguration.


Source : Sapa /ml/gq
Date : 03 May 2014 16:16

 

[BUDDH4]

Edit - Gary already posted earlier

 

[LazyLion]

Um, this was already posted at #678.

 

[chris2.0]

A bit late for the idea - but how about having a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) type discussion with reps from each party willing to participate?

Then a thread is opened per party, and you have a set time to ask questions? Then the rep answers all the Q's that s/he has time for online? Rinse & repeat for the rest until Wednesday?

Might give the smaller parties a boost up in this last week? And help the undecided who to support?

Invited could be Agang, EFF, WASP, Ununtu, etc, etc? DA/ANC as well? Kasril's Vote No movement as well?

 

[R13...]

A bit late for the idea - but how about having a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) type discussion with reps from each party willing to participate?

Then a thread is opened per party, and you have a set time to ask questions? Then the rep answers all the Q's that s/he has time for online? Rinse & repeat for the rest until Wednesday?

Might give the smaller parties a boost up in this last week? And help the undecided who to support?

Invited could be Agang, EFF, WASP, Ununtu, etc, etc? DA/ANC as well? Kasril's Vote No movement as well?

Probably because over 80% of voters don't have that sort of internet access? You'd have more luck with social media as many people have access to that, but you'd have to contend with a lot of trolls in the mix - unless it was somehow moderated where the questions get filtered by an intermediary to cut out the inevitable trolls.

 

[satanboy]

Getting less interested as the day gets closer.

 

[chris2.0]

Yeah, Twitter/Mxit would perhaps be a better place for it... Does MyBB have a Mxit channel?

And good ol' journalistic sensationalism on the Ipsos surveys:

The Ipsos survey allocated undecided voters to parties based on their responses to other questions, such as the favourability rating for particular leaders and how much they trusted those parties.

Without undecided voters allocated, the percentages for the big three were: ANC 56.4%, DA 18.2% and the EFF 5.5%.

A disproportionate number of undecided voters were allocated to the ANC and DA, driving down support for the EFF.

Only found this on the tail-end of an article on the Times...

 

[Noseworthy]

So from what ive read. Seems the da wont take gauteng? That is me done with local politics. Will stick to the daily show and American politics

 

[HideInLight]

So from what ive read. Seems the da wont take gauteng? That is me done with local politics. Will stick to the daily show and American politics

Don't believe everything you read, that's part of the propaganda. You will see words like landslide victory by the ANC purely to put voters of other parties off.

 

[Noseworthy]

Don't believe everything you read, that's part of the propaganda. You will see words like landslide victory by the ANC purely to put voters of other parties off.

So what is your prediction?

 

[R13...]

So from what ive read. Seems the da wont take gauteng? That is me done with local politics. Will stick to the daily show and American politics

This is actually why the DA will never make inroads into winning GP. Everyone DA voter appears to read it that way and then have a braai instead of going to the voting station on May 7 while all of the ANC voters go off to vote for their party. If everyone voted the DA may just stand a chance. They showed this with Pretoria in the last election.

 

[Noseworthy]

This is actually why the DA will never make inroads into winning GP. Everyone DA voter appears to read it that way and then have a braai instead of going to the voting station on May 7 while all of the ANC voters go off to vote for their party. If everyone voted the DA may just stand a chance. They showed this with Pretoria in the last election.

Hell no im still going to vote. Every vote counts. But in the end its fruitless and we end crying while the anc opens another bottle of champagne

 

[HideInLight]

So what is your prediction?

Nationally DA : 67/400 -> 90/400 seats
Percentage: 16.66 -> 24%

Gauteng have a different geographic make-up than most, so it might be possible to get 50/50 with all parties combined. The DA might not take it, but the closer it gets to that 50%, the more unlikely it is for the ANC to survive another 4 years in Gauteng.

At least think of it this way, 23 less corrupt or F quality ANC members in parliament.

 

[Fulcrum29]

This is actually why the DA will never make inroads into winning GP. Everyone DA voter appears to read it that way and then have a braai instead of going to the voting station on May 7 while all of the ANC voters go off to vote for their party. If everyone voted the DA may just stand a chance. They showed this with Pretoria in the last election.

I am very glad to see that most SA people I know abroad have put in their vote, places like Canada some could not vote due to the large travelling extend to vote. It was also very interesting to see the large ANC representative presentation at the embassies abroad. The Western Cape usually have an active voting base so the Western Cape may stay DA, however it is going to be interesting as the settlements had rapid expansion with people coming down to Cape Town, they may also bring their intended vote along. The DA have my vote this round.

 

[Vox Populi Vox Dei]

Don't be so defeatist about Gauteng. Huge gains were made by the DA between 2004 and 2011.

The DA’s share of the vote in Midvaal saw gains of 39.95% to 43.95% between the last two general elections, consolidated with 56.21% in 2011. Mogale City grew from 18.53% in 2004 to 33.01 in the most recent local elections. Randfontein climbed from 20.18 to 35.94 over the same period. And in the two big Johannesburg metros, the DA grew from 19.21% (City of Joburg) and 19.74% (Ekuruhuleni) to 34.64% and 30.29% respectively, from 2004 to 2011. In Tshwane, the DA fell from 27.79% in 2004 to 24.9% in 2009 (8% went to Cope while the ANC held firm), but when Cope imploded the DA soared to 38.65% in the LGEs in 2011. And in Metsimaholo, in the Free State but bordering Gauteng, the DA grew from 16.78 in 2004 to 19.97 in 2009 to 34.78 in 2011.

These are real gains, and it happens in the most important municipalities:

http://www.news24.com/Elections/OpinionAndAnalysis/How-the-DA-has-grown-20140502

 

[Galactica]

"No, don't howl...because if you howl you are going to spoil the debate...don't howl." (Gwede Mantashe to Lindiwe Mazibuko)


Catch it now on SABC1! Terror is there as well! Getting quite heated!

 

[Vox Populi Vox Dei]

Zuma fails to dazzle at Siyanqoba rally

The ANC’s Siyanqoba rally on Sunday presented a rare opportunity for party president Jacob Zuma to steal the limelight in the last push for votes but once again he failed to capture the mood of supporters when he took to the podium.

Predictably so, Zuma’s speech was littered with what the party had achieved over the past 20 years but plans for the next five years were noticeably absent. So uninspiring was Zuma’s speech that many supporters – who earlier gave him a rousing welcome – walked out during his address. By the time he finished, the packed 90 000-capacity FNB Stadium had halved in number.

During proceedings, a small Democratic Alliance aircraft hovered over the stadium with a bold message urging citizens to vote DA, much to the dismay and irritation of many staunch ANC supporters.

The ANC rally was attended by fraternal organisations from across the SADC region, including Zimbabwe’s Zanu-PF, Tanzania’s Chama Chamapinduzi, the Botswana People’s Convention and Namibia’s Swapo.

The rally was not short of razzmatazz and included performances by Dr Malinga, Solly Moholo, Zahara, Mafikizolo and hip-hop star AKA. Zuma was not to be outshined, however, as he led national executive committee members in his trademark song Yinde Lendlela, delighting supporters

http://mg.co.za/article/2014-05-04-zuma-fails-to-dazzle-at-siyanqoba-election-rally