Thousands of supporters of South Africa’s ruling party African National Congress (ANC) descended on Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium on Saturday for a final pre-election rally.
Singing, dancing and donning the party’s colors and promotional regalia, supporters expressed optimism at their flag-bearer and sitting president Cyril Ramaphosa’s chances of winning the vote.
Several polls put the ANC’s support below 50% ahead of Wednesday’s polling day, raising the prospect that it might not be the majority party for the first time since winning control of the government when Nelson Mandela led it to victory in the first all-race elections that ended white minority rule in 1994.
Supporters attending the party’s final political rally at the iconic FNB Stadium however exuded confidence in an outright ANC victory.
“We came here and we are already celebrating because we see ANC is already going to win. We do not need much, just 50% and we will be alright. From the 30th (May) to the 2nd (June) it will all be evident,” said Violet Lenyane.
Others however expressed disappointment and stressed it is time the ANC actually delivered for the people of South Africa.
“We have been voting and voting but we see very little progress as the people, only a special few seem to benefit,” lamented Ntombizonke Biyela.
There are dozens of parties contesting the election, many of them new and some expected to get just a few percent of the vote, but they could suddenly have a big say in South African politics. Those smaller parties would want something in return, whether Cabinet positions, some input on policy or even control of entire government departments.
Some South African political commentators have started to speak about a possible government of national unity in a kind of repeat of what happened just after the apartheid system of white minority rule ended 30 years ago.
Then, Mandela invited other major parties into his government to seek some unity as South Africa took its first, uncertain steps as a democracy and went about writing a new constitution.
It was an act of reconciliation in bringing a fractured country together, though others have doubted it would work for South Africa now.
Ramaphosa is expected to address the rally later in the day.
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