Manifesto launch crowd enthusiastic, but few

Grant

Grant

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President Jacob Zuma was greeted with loud cheers and enthusiasm by a not-quite-full Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium as he did a lap around the stadium upon entry to greet the crowd.

There were an estimated 30 000 people in the stadium when he entered, far short of the 110 000 that party spokesperson Zizi Kodwa earlier in the week said would attend.

People were slow to trickle into stadium in Port Elizabeth ahead of the ANC’s manifesto launch, but the crowds were enthusiastic. The start of the proceedings was delayed by over an hour as the 46 000-seater stadium stubbornly refused to fill up.

Those that got to the stadium earlier enthusiastically sang along with the artists on stage. Right opposite the stage, on the far end of the stadium, the ANC’s Ekurhuleni region put up a huge banner with the late Nelson Mandela’s face on it.

Only a small group of people sat with the banner, possibly because that part of the stadium is in the sun and temperatures in Port Elizabeth have been high in the past few days.

Ekurhuleni, in Gauteng, is one of the regions where support for President Jacob Zuma is strong.
ANC and alliance leaders as well as religious leaders, set to open proceedings, started making their way to the stage around 11.30, ahead of what was expected to be a noon start. Zuma followed about 10 minutes later.

Those that didn’t sleep in front of the stadium, frequented restaurants and night clubs in the city, and the usual ANC hangout, Cubana, was packed to capacity until the early hours of the morning.

Many of the more important cadres were said to have gone to the Boardwalk on the beachfront where Joyous Celebration had its 20th anniversary festivities.

Security at the gates was not as tight as in previous years, with bags only searched cursorily, and the usual X-ray scanners that are used to scan bags at mass events where members of the presidency speak, missing.

ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa told the Mail & Guardian earlier that the reason why the stadium wasn’t filled to capacity was because buses left late from different areas of the Eastern Cape.

He said more people were expected later. A member of the ANC provincial executive committee in the Eastern Cape blamed Luthuli House (the ANC head office) for failing to pay transport on time. He said payment for transport was only approved on Saturday morning.
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http://mg.co.za/article/2016-04-16-manifesto-launch-crowd-enthusiastic-but-few
 
the last time I checked soccer city was the biggest stadium with a capacity of about 90 000, how were they planning to cram 110 000 people into the NMB stadium
 
an uninspiring manifesto for an uninspired crowd, anyone who remembers the Siyanqoba rally will concede that things are no longer what they used to be
 
ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa told the Mail & Guardian earlier that the reason why the stadium wasn’t filled to capacity was because buses left late from different areas of the Eastern Cape.
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:rolleyes:
 
13006627_1070224303024428_6010890180091221564_n.jpg
 
thechamp said:
the last time I checked soccer city was the biggest stadium with a capacity of about 90 000, how were they planning to cram 110 000 people into the NMB stadium
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That's for sports events, with everyone in a seat. For concerts, rallies, prayer meetings, people are often on the pitch, so they can fit way more people.
 
cr@zydude said:
That's for sports events, with everyone in a seat. For concerts, rallies, prayer meetings, people are often on the pitch, so they can fit way more people.
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Nobody was allowed on the main pitch. They planned on moving them to the outer fields where big screen TVs were installed. Needless to say nobody was there.
 
thechamp said:
the last time I checked soccer city was the biggest stadium with a capacity of about 90 000, how were they planning to cram 110 000 people into the NMB stadium
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Lol good catch I wonder who's lying
 
I can't remember the Mbeki era being concerned with attendance volumes as they were with proper governance.
 
I guess it was an indication that they have their work cut out in convincing the voters of the Nelson Mandela Bay. I hope Danny's job is safe at SAFA because thins are not looking too good with his political prospects
 
The stadium is a 46000 seater... if nobody was allowed on the pitch, and given the photos showing the crowd I would put attendance at no more than 20000... and even that might be a bit on the high side.
 
ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa told the Mail & Guardian earlier that the reason why the stadium wasn’t filled to capacity was because buses left late from different areas of the Eastern Cape.
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Why did the buses leave late? Cuz if no one's in the buses, they have nowhere to go yet... :whistle:
 
ToxicBunny said:
The stadium is a 46000 seater... if nobody was allowed on the pitch, and given the photos showing the crowd I would put attendance at no more than 20000... and even that might be a bit on the high side.
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love that twitter account
 
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