The campaign race for the 2021 Municipal Elections is on. But for some reason, to the silent dismay of his ANC colleagues, President Cyril Ramaphosa is still not out of the starting blocks.
Flanked by the South African and ANC flags and wearing an ANC tie in a televised address, he welcomed the Independent Electoral Commission’s decision to go ahead with this year’s municipal elections and declaring the weekend of 18 and 19 September voter registration weekend. But speaking on the outcomes of Monday’s ANC NEC meeting he failed to give hope to disillusioned voters that things will change.
Maybe it’s because he wishfully thinks the ANC doesn’t have to do much to bag the votes. After all, an Ipsos poll shows that close to half of South Africa’s voting population is likely to vote for the ANC in the local government elections at the end of October, and the EFF and DA are likely to garner double-digit support.
But the elections follow the end of the Zondo Commission that exposed the web of corruption under the ANC’s rule that took the country to the brink of collapse. A time when Ramaphosa also played the long game, which allowed for the Guptas and their cronies to swoop in and capture much of government coffers under the nine-year tenure of Jacob Zuma. The axing of former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene in 2018 alone cost the country R500 billion.
Ramaphosa also didn’t seize his chance at the Zondo Commission to say how the Zuma administration eroded the people’s trust in the ANC and how his predecessor contributed significantly to the rot of corruption that has come to characterise the ANC.
And the Ipsos poll shows that not all eligible voters will vote and that urban dwellers are less likely to vote than people in rural areas.
With a disillusioned society suffering from Covid fatigue and struggling to make ends meet amid a sluggish economy and rampant unemployment, perhaps it’s time for Ramaphosa to rethink his long game.
Here’s a roundup of the world’s top and most interesting headlines:
SA Business
Citrus industry expected to break the export record – SABC News
‘We continue to fight for what’s right and we trust the system’ – Bernard Mostert on the Steinhoff settlement saga – Biznews
Former Eskom senior manager wins appeal against 15-year fraud and money laundering conviction – Fin24
Global Business
Starlink’s internet will be 40% faster than the speed of light on fiber optics: Elon Musk – Entrepreneur South Africa
Zimbabwe warns firms against ‘manipulating exchange rate’ through arbitrage – Fin24
NASA confirms Perseverance Mars rover got its first piece of rock – AFP
Markets
Bitcoin faces biggest test as El Salvador makes it legal tender – Bloomberg
World shares at record high for eighth straight session – Reuters
Dollar down, focus now on Central Bank policy decisions – Investing.com
Opinion/In-Depth
Duduzane Zuma — South Africa’s aspirant president trailed by claims of ties to the criminal underbelly of society – Daily Maverick
This is the reason why we must clear our mind of Netflix and TikTok content according to the founder of Telegram – Entrepreneur South Africa
UNACCOUNTABLE#29: Roy Moodley: Mr Prasa? – Daily Maverick
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