DA is ready for municipal elections, says Steenhuisen

DA LEADER John Steenhuisen said on Monday that his party was ready to contest the municipal elections later this year.

Last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the local government polls would take place on October 27.

However, at the weekend Finance Minister Tito Mboweni caused a stir on social media when he spoke against holding elections amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Postpone this thing and save lives!! The world won’t end!! I am not attending any rally or any face-to-face meeting,” Mboweni tweeted on Sunday.

Mboweni drew backlash, especially from EFF leaders, with Floyd Shivambu accusing him of opportunism.

Mboweni said Ramaphosa had ignored “genuine calls to postpone the elections”.

Meanwhile, in a statement, Steenhuisen said his party was on track to contest the elections.

“We’ve been working hard to be in a position to wage our election campaign in these unusual circumstances we still find ourselves in and, come October 27, every voter in South Africa will know what the DA stands for and what we offer them in local government,” he said.

Steenhuisen added that they would launch their election campaign, during a virtual rally, on May 22.

“While senior ANC members like Finance Minister Tito Mboweni are putting out messages on social media asking for the elections to be postponed, and the EFF are still dithering about their readiness to contest the elections, the DA has none of these issues. We are neither distracted nor confused,” said Steenhuisen.

He said further that the only way to effect real change in South Africa was through the ballot.

Steenhuisen urged South Africans to sign a pledge to bring about change in the country.

“Those who still try to divide us and turn us against each other don’t have South Africa’s best interest at heart.

“Those who campaign for a retreat, back into little corners of racial and cultural solidarity, are taking our democratic project backwards. When the DA speaks of change, we mean change that benefits every single South African and every single community,” said Steenhuisen.

– Political Bureau