The Sunday Independent says a survey has found that the ANC has lost around 19% of the national vote since 2008. On their part the Independent quoted research company Ipsos who found that the loss appears to have happened between November 2012 and November last year. The issues contributing to this include the Marikana shooting, the scandal around president Jacob Zuma’s R206m “security” upgrades to his N(s)kandla home in KwaZulu-Natal and some other ANC leadership issues.
We often say we don’t have to do a survey to know the bleeding obvious, but there you have it.
The more interesting story – this time by the Sunday Times – says the ruling party did its damnedest in a bid to protect the Zumster form another embarrassing booing episode when they planned the launch of the party manifesto in Nelspruit which was held on Saturday. Extraordinary security measures were put in place, like the fact that only pre-registered guests were allowed in who hae made pre-seated arrangements.
It’s interesting that the ANC feared booing from a crowd who were obviously made up of ANC supporters.
At Madiba’s funeral the crowd rightly gave the Zumster an earful. The incident exposed (to the entire world) the unhappiness over Zuma’s leadership and use of taxpayers’ money to fund his rather large compound at N(s)kandla.
With the anti-booing arrangements in place Zuma was indeed clapped and cheered when he took to the podium. His electoral promises did not carry surprises. It was the usual pre-election stuff: six million job opportunities, one million housing opportunities, cheaper private health care and the promise to clean up government by dealing decisively with corruption.
Although the last one really sounds like it came from a stand-up comedian, we promise, we did not make it up.
