As South Africans living abroad cast their votes this week, political parties embarked on a final push for the ears, eyes and social media space of potential voters ahead of the May 29 poll.
Countries abroad with a Sunday-Thursday work week voted on Friday, while those that work Monday-Friday went to the polls yesterday.
At home, parties flooded television, radio and social media with ads and held last-ditch rallies to secure votes.
The ANC, which traditionally gets to its campaign peak later than other parties, has its hopes pinned on a rally in Gauteng on Saturday.
The previous phase of our campaign was Mayihlome (let’s get ready for war), the final phase is Siyanqoba (we are winning) which is a call to vote and a consolidation of all the work we’ve done since the campaign launch
— ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri
Spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said NEC members, led by national officials and tripartite alliance leaders, will be campaigning in Gauteng.
Among the many events scheduled ahead of the Siyanqoba rally at FNB stadium on Saturday will be a testimonial event at which South Africans from different walks of life will explain why they will vote ANC.
The event will be in Johannesburg on a date to be confirmed during the week.
Bhengu-Motsiri said President Cyril Ramaphosa will meet newspaper editors on the same day (next Saturday). That evening, former president Thabo Mbeki will deliver a lecture on Africa Day.
“The previous phase of our campaign was Mayihlome (let’s get ready for war), the final phase is Siyanqoba (we are winning) which is a call to vote and a consolidation of all the work we’ve done since the campaign launch.
“We will still be campaigning beyond May 25 (Saturday) until the IEC pronounces on the last day of the campaign,” Bhengu-Motsiri said.
She said the focus on Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal was deliberate.
“Anyone who wants to win an election should be interested in Gauteng. Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal contribute the most to the national vote share. Gauteng is the major contributor to GDP. Anyone who cares about winning the election has to take those things into consideration,” Bhengu-Motsiri said.
Rise Mzansi spokesperson Gugu Ndima said the party campaign in Gauteng will reach a “crescendo” with a rally today with 5,000 volunteers, supporters and leaders gathering at Ruimsig Stadium in Roodepoort where party leader Songezo Zibi will sign a “people’s contract” which will commit members of parliament and legislatures to transparency and regular engagement with communities.
Zibi will head to KwaZulu-Natal tomorrow to lead a march with the province’s premier candidate, Nonkululeko Hlongwane-Mhlongo, in Pietermaritzburg.
He will then travel to the Western Cape for an event with the Bo-Kaap community, and on Wednesday will lead a march to the provincial legislature where the party's Western Cape premier candidate, Axolile Notywala, will sign the people's contract.
On Thursday, Zibi will be with the Gauteng premier candidate, Vuyiswa Ramokgopa, in Emfuleni, leading a march where she will sign the people's contract.
In Kliptown, Soweto, Rise Mzansi launched its policies such as the plan for a new and just economy, confronting structural challenges and reviving sectors to create jobs.
Ndima said, “As we draw closer to elections we hope to establish and sustain an engagement foot print for Rise in communities which we intend on following through post-election.”
The DA has planned rallies in different provinces as it wraps up its campaign.
Spokesperson Solly Malatsi said the party will have rallies in Gauteng and in Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal, on Wednesday and in the Western Cape next Saturday.
The party's last hurrah will be in Benoni next Sunday.
DA leader John Steenhuisen will address the Phoenix rally then travel to QwaQwa in the Free State.
IFP spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa said party leader Velenkosini Hlabisa and other top officials will criss-cross the country in the final 10 days to consolidate support.
Hlabisa will deliver a lecture to young people on unemployment in KwaZulu-Natal tomorrow, followed by a rally in Pietermaritzburg. On Wednesday, he will speak in Nquthu, northern KwaZulu-Natal.
Hlabisa will be joined at some events by national leaders of the IFP and premier candidates.
“In this final stretch, with just 10 days to go to voting day, our leadership is focused on bringing as many voters as possible to the polls on May 29. We will, in particular, be encouraging the youth and first-time voters to make their mark,” Hlengwa said.
In the creative space, some political parties highlighted their achievements while others slated the ruling party and the opposition for broken promises.
The ANC's television advert tells the story of the work that the party did “while others were talking”. The ad highlights iconic projects such as the Gautrain and Moses Mabhida stadium which were built in the 30 years of the party’s rule.
The EFF broadcast advert depicts an unhappy young person experiencing state corruption, load-shedding and unemployment.
The ad is framed around the question “how long are we going to complain about the same thing?”.
Zibi's television ad for Rise Mzanzi has a similar theme, featuring a young person who says supporters had previously voted for the EFF because they thought they were different from “the tired politicians”.
Another Rise Mzansi advert on X laments that South Africans have been failed by poor leadership from tired and old parties that have occupied parliamentary benches for too long.
The narrative is that voters have wasted their votes on established parties, their breakaway organisations and their selfishness, with images of Build One SA leader Mmusi Maimane and Action SA leader Herman Mashaba.
The young man further says the EFF has let him down as it is “part of the system”.
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