Local elections

Photo: Twitter / ANC

Local Elections: Ramaphosa hopes campaign will end ANC fighting

Let’s be real, the ANC loves to fight itself. But with local elections now less than a month away. Ramaphosa has some big wishes…

Local elections

Photo: Twitter / ANC

President Cyril Ramaphosa has been the man of promises for the ANC. He’s promised to end load shedding, he’s promised to end corruption. He’s also promised to bring forward a united ANC. But going into the November 1st local elections, is the ANC united?

Well, the short answer is: for now. But Ramaphosa is hoping that it’s the party’s campaigning efforts that can bring an end to ANC infighting and factional battles, once and for all.

Also Read – Load-shedding: ‘There’s light at the end of the tunnel,’ Ramaphosa says

Local Elections: Is the ANC in for a beating?

While hitting the campaign trail in the North West alongside Premier Busy Maape on Friday, Ramaphosa made his thoughts clear.

“I’m urging everyone, as president, to belong to one faction and that faction is a united African National Congress. I’m seeing great unity of purpose, a great unity for the future so I’m using the election campaign as a unifying force.”

ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa

But one big question comes out of Ramaphos’a request. If the ANC takes a beating at the polls in November, those around him in the party will look for someone to blame. And due to the number of ANC members part of the so-called “radical economic transformation” faction of the party, they could easily attempt to use Ramaphosa as a scapegoat.

Ramaphosa zooms in on KZN

So where is Ramaphosa at the moment? The president has moved his focus to KwaZulu-Natal this weekend. And is campaigning in the eThekwini region today.
According to the ANC, Ramaphosa received a full political briefing alongside KZN premier Sihle Zikalala.

The relationship between Zikalala and Ramaphosa was tested recently. The premier put pressure on Ramaphosa over former president Jacob Zuma’s short stint behind bars. With KZN a key province for the ANC, it will be interesting to see what impact the latest Zuma saga has on the party’s popularity. In a video posted to his social media accounts this month, Zuma called on his supporters to still cast their ballots for the ANC.