ANC targets 80% mark in Eastern Cape campaign

The African National Congress (ANC) in the Eastern Cape has set ambitious goals to surpass the 80% threshold for the first time in the upcoming elections next week.

ANC targets Eastern Cape

However, doubts have arisen regarding the party’s prospects, given that it has yet to come close to achieving such a significant victory since Thabo Mbeki’s tenure as president two decades ago. 

Additionally, the party relies on its historically strong support in the Eastern Cape to secure a majority in the national elections.

According to Eyewitness News, in the 2019 elections, with a voter turnout of 61%, the ANC secured 69% of the vote in the predominantly rural province.

 However, the last time the ANC in the Eastern Cape approached the 80% mark was in 2004, during Mbeki’s presidency, when it attained 79% of the provincial vote. 

Provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi expressed optimism that the party might see a shift in the 2024 elections as it aims to regain the level of support it had in 2004.

“In the Eastern Cape, we are certain that we are going to win with a margin of around 82-85% and we are working flat out so that people do not take it for granted that the ANC is going to win. We are campaigning like it’s nobody’s business,” said Ngcukayitobi.

The Eastern Cape ANC’s ambitions extend beyond its borders in what is often called the “home of legends,” honouring figures like Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo. 

The party is also targeting increasing support in the neighbouring Western Cape. 

Despite securing 69% of the vote in the Eastern Cape during the 2019 elections, the ANC only managed to attain 28% of the vote in the Western Cape, governed by the Democratic Alliance (DA).

Over the weekend, Ngcukayitobi was active on the campaign trail in the Southern Cape, engaging with taxi and traditional leaders.

Adding to the efforts, Party Chairperson Gwede Mantashe also participated by visiting George on Sunday, a city where a tragic building collapse claimed the lives of 33 people. 

Ngcukayitobi emphasised that this outreach forms part of a broader strategy aimed at mobilising the ANC’s supporters in the Western Cape, particularly those from the Eastern Cape, to ensure their participation in the upcoming elections.

Eastern Cape ANC leaders mobilise Western Cape support before elections

This weekend, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane will join the leaders heading to the Western Cape for campaign efforts.

Additional leaders from the Eastern Cape branch of the African National Congress (ANC) are being dispatched to the Western Cape as per an agreement to bolster the party’s electoral support in the sole province governed by the Democratic Alliance (DA).

Lulama Ngcukayitobi, the provincial secretary of the Eastern Cape, highlighted that this initiative forms a crucial aspect of the party’s strategy, aiming to motivate ANC supporters in the Western Cape, originally from the Eastern Cape, to participate in the upcoming elections. 

Additionally, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane is set to join the campaign efforts in the Western Cape this weekend, further underscoring the party’s commitment to mobilising support across provincial boundaries.

Fifteen years ago, the ANC relinquished control to the DA in the Western Cape, and since then, it has struggled to reclaim its former dominance. 

However, the ANC aims to influence a power shift away from the DA by fostering “bilateral cooperation” between the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape.

Ngcukayitobi, who recently visited the Western Cape, emphasised the shared characteristics between the two provinces, such as traditions and heritage, which serve as the foundation for this collaborative effort.