‘DA edges ahead of ANC in Johannesburg’ Jacob Zuma
Jacob Zuma

Jacob Zuma

Johannesburg — The race for the City of Johannesburg is on with a poll this week indicating that the Democratic Alliance has edged ahead of the African National Congress.

The poll, commissioned by eNCA and undertaken by Ipsos, monitored voting trends ahead of the August 3 local government elections in Tshwane, Johannesburg and Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape.

According to latest numbers, the DA was ahead of the ANC by four points with 36 percent of people saying they would vote for the party in the City of Johannesburg. The Economic Freedom Fighters was far behind with just 9 percent indicating they would support the party.

The DA has marginally led the polls in Johannesburg since it began campaigning eight weeks ago. Meanwhile, ANC mayoral candidate Parks Tau marginally leads popularity over the DA’s Herman Mashaba with a 5.8 point rating over Mashaba’s 5.4.

The DA has maintained a commanding lead in Tshwane since campaigning kicked off, with 41 percent of people saying they would prefer the party.

The ANC received 26 percent and the EFF 11 percent.

In terms of popularity, the DA’s Solly Msinga has outdone the ANC’s Thoko Didiza consistently with a 6.1 rating over Didiza’s dismal 4.7 this week.

The DA has also edged out the ANC at Nelson Mandela Bay with 44 percent over the ANC’s 30 percent. The EFF struggled in the Eastern Cape with just 6 percent.

Leadership popularity was fairly close with the ANC’s Danny Jordan at 5.3 and the DA’s Athol Trollip ahead with a 6.2 rating.

Meanwhile, President Jacob Zuma says he knows who former president Thabo Mbeki will vote for, even if he refuses to campaign for the African National Congress.

Zuma has for the first time spoken out about Mbeki’s refusal, again, to campaign for the ANC in the 2016 local government elections.

Mbeki has not campaigned for the ANC in previous elections either, but has made rare appearances on ANC stages, like during the party’s centenary celebrations in Bloemfontein in 2012.

Addressing journalists during a whistle-stop campaign in Maboloka, north of Brits, on Thursday, Zuma said it was Mbeki’s choice as an individual not to campaign for the party.

“I can’t discuss that [Mbeki’s decision] because we make choices.“We make choices as individuals. We have joined organisations because we made choices as individuals, and as individuals we can make that choice: How far do you go; how far do you work, and I don’t think I want to discuss individual choices.

“I think comrade Mbeki, the former president, has made a statement. He is a member of the ANC in good standing. That is wonderful, and I know who he is going to be voting for. You don’t know the reasons — he might be busy — why he is not campaigning, whatever.

“He might not be feeling like campaigning for whatever reasons. I don’t think that is a matter we need to take a lot of time about. Fact of the matter, it is not all of the members of the ANC who campaign, so there is no problem,” he said. – Sapa

 

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