Elections 2024 | Political parties position themselves ahead of highly contested elections

With just 19 days remaining before South Africans heads to the polls on May 29, political parties are vying for political power and biting one another off in a bid of garnering majority votes.

During the national elections debate hosted by the Action for Conflict Transformation coined ‘Election Imbizo‘, various political parties converged under the same roof in a heated debate with members of the public in attendance in Tembisa, Gauteng Province.

Senior representatives from the African National Congress (ANC), Democratic Alliance (DA), and new formations in the political arena namely, Rise Mzansi and African Independent People’s Organisation and took part in the debate.

Held in the form of a panel discussion, led by Sizwe Mpofu- Walsh, the political parties had the opportunity to present their Manifestos plans for the community of Tembisa.

This also provided an opportunity for community members to pose questions to the representatives of the political parties.

Democratic Alliance representative, Refilo Ntshege, discussed the necessity of increasing police visibility to tackle crime effectively in Tembisa.

She also underscored the urgent need for improved healthcare services at Tembisa hospital, citing staff shortages and other issues.

Ntshege emphasized the importance of enhancing the educational system to better equip our children for the workforce, and advocated for an end to water and load shedding practices.

Speaking on behalf of the Rise Mzansi party was Faisa Lakh, emphasizing the necessity for new leaders who prioritize accountability and care for the community.

“The decline of the township economy must be treated with serious caution,” she stressed the importance of revitalizing, expanding, and supporting it for the benefit of community members.

AIPO, a newly established party originating from Mpumalanga Province also touched on enhancing the township economy, eradicating corruption within government institutions, and restructuring the tender system to better facilitate the growth and progress of the township economy.

Speaking to one of the members of the Community Forum Phindile Nene, she stated “we had expectations that this event would have answered some of the burning questions we as the Tembisa community had, unfortunately not all our questions were answered and the same promises that that were made then are still being said even now,” said aggravated Nene.

With a tinge of regret evident in her tone, she found solace in the fact that the community was afforded the chance to express their concerns and have their voices acknowledged by the political parties vying for highest office.