Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen addressed a sea of blue on Sunday in Benoni during the party’s final rally ahead of the general elections set for Wednesday, where he appealed to South Africans across the board to give his party a chance.
Steenhuisen was supported by DA top leadership including Gauteng Pemier candidate Solly Msimanga. He addressed thousands of blue-clad and lively supporters who attended the party’s final We Can Rescue SA rally at the Willowmoore Stadium in Benoni.
“The DA doesn’t khuluma, khuluma, khuluma (talk, talk, talk) about tacking poverty. We beat poverty where we govern. If you want to beat poverty, vote for the Democratic Alliance. On the 29th of May, we are going to come out number one, and if the DA comes out number one, South Africa is gonna come out number one,” said Steenhuisen.
“We do not offer empty promises, we show you concrete facts, and the facts are undeniable.
“If you want a government that creates two million new jobs; gets rid of cadre deployment to ensure fair access to work for all South Africans; if you want to halve the rate of violent crime including murder, attempted murder and gender-based violence; if you want clean, accountable government with zero-tolerance for corruption; if you want to end load shedding, and water cuts … then you are ready to vote for the Democratic Alliance.”
He said the DA would expand access to private medical aid to more South Africans “rather than taking it away from those who have earned it the hard way”.
The DA leader also promised to fix public schools to ensure that South African children have a better future.
“We already run the best municipalities and provincial government in South Africa today. That is why only the DA can make tomorrow a better country because we believe South Africa can be a better country,” he said.
“Today, our country suffers. Our people are suffering an unbearable burden of poverty, unemployment, crime and hunger. These disasters are not inevitable. These disasters were created by the ANC people, by corrupt and selfish people who betray our country.”
Earlier, Msimanga told party supporters that the situation in South Africa has gotten worse that it was under the apartheid government.
“We will get a government that will get the infrastructure right, that will get the safety right, the jobs right but more importantly that will make sure that you your dignity. When you have a job, a place to live in you have dignity.
"Democrats, we are saying the time is now, we cannot be exhausted. When we leave this place we are going to then say staying at home, saying it's just going to be the same, then it is going to be the same. Things are actually going to get worse," he said.
"I want say it is not yet Uhuru but we will bring Uhuru on the 29th of May. There are people who say we feel that it was bad under apartheid government and I say it was not, it is actually now having just gotten worse from bad. We just need to change this province," the former mayor of Tshwane told the thousands of DA supporters.
South Africans go to the polls on Wednesday, and opposition party have been increasing the ante, in their bid to topple the African National Congress which has governed the country since 1994.
Many polls expect the ANC to dip below for the first time, but the ANC’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has repeatedly expressed confidence the governing party would win the 2024 elections with a 50%+1 majority.
IOL