New kids on the block rising beyond Mzansi’s borders
New kids on the block rising beyond Mzansi’s borders
Newly formed political party Rise Mzansi already boasts international support ahead of the May 29 elections a little over one year after being formed.
This was revealed by the party’s leadership at its last rally titled the “People’s Rally” at Ruimsig Stadium in Roodepoort, Johannesburg, yesterday, where scores of the party’s volunteers attended.
The party is for the first time contesting the 2024 elections which kicked off on Friday, opening with voting abroad where, according to officials, a sizable number of votes were received, from Rise Mzansi supporters working and living abroad.
About 76 000 registered South Africans abroad started voting from Friday, while 24 000 started voting in London from Saturday to Sunday.
Despite official reports still to be released by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), the party said the newcomers garnered a number of votes in Tanzania, Egypt, Dubai, Spain, the Netherlands and in the United Kingdom.
The party said it had received the information from its volunteers abroad and supporters who had gone on social media to boast about their vote.
Addressing the volunteers, before he signed a pledge of the party’s promises, party leader Songezo Zibi said he was going into the elections “angry” because of the false promises the ANC had made for the last 30 years.
“I am deeply sad that, 30 years into democracy, we are very far from our promised land…
“Actually, I’m not just sad. I’m angry too. I am angry at the way the promise has been broken ... at the way the dream of freedom and equality and dignity of democracy has been deferred ...
“Because of the way the old leaders from the old parties have squandered the mandate we have given them. The way they have broken our trust … and so here we are, 30 years later, with millions of South Africans going into this election with fear for their lives and for the future.
“Our objective as Rise Mzansi is to turn that fear into hope. And to turn that hope into actual transformation,” Zibi said.
He said his party had a “real” and “workable” plan to make the criminal justice system work, promising to reduce crime.
“We will reduce the murder rate in three years. The experts tell us this is absolutely doable, with the right policies, and the right leadership of the SAPS.
“Let’s chuck out the cronies, the ineffectual, the corrupt. Let’s put the clean and efficient ones in,” he said.
The party, since its inception, has been on an anti-sex-for-jobs campaign against men in management asking for sex from women in order for them to score a job.
“We have a real and workable plan to help single mothers and all parents by doubling the childcare grant, to earn skills, to find work and earn an income -- because their communities will have fully equipped day care centres staffed by trained people from within the community.
“We have a real and workable plan to make government employment available to all people and not just those under 35,” he said.
Zibi, flanked by among others his chairperson and Gauteng premier candidate Vuyiswa Ramokgopa, made a grand entrance shaking supporters’ hands before he got on to the stage.
Addressing the crowd, Ramokgopa took a swipe at the governing ANC.
“We can continue with this path or we can elect new leaders … we need to get rid of the thieves,” she said.
Some of Zibi’s pledges included being brave, accountable, co-operative, consultative, accessible and clean.
The Star