The first in a series of ‘Election Connection’ pre-election debates took place in Grahamstown on Wednesday night, 6 April – fortuitously only hours after President Jacob Zuma announced the date of South Africa’s local government elections, 3 August 2016.
The first in a series of ‘Election Connection’ pre-election debates took place in Grahamstown on Wednesday night, 6 April – fortuitously only hours after President Jacob Zuma announced the date of South Africa’s local government elections, 3 August 2016.
It was also soon after a high-level civil society press conference was set to be held on the steps of the Constitutional Court to announce the first moves in a plan of nationwide protest, including the demand that Zuma be removed as president.
In a packed BB Zondani Hall in Fingo, speakers from five parties – Cope, the EFF, the United Front, the ANC and the DA – made up the panel which was chaired by Xolani Kondile. Multi-award-winning musician Ntsiki Mazwai MC-ed the event.
An ANC event took place earlier in the same venue and a late finish meant hosts Radio Grahamstown, RMR and Grocott's Mail scrambled to set up the venue and round up participants.
While the panellists, Nozipho Plaatjie (Cope), Mabhuti Matyumza (ANC), Ayanda Kota (UUF), Xolani Madyo (DA) and Mzwandile Qotoyi (EFF) spared no swords, barbs and grenades in their presentations and replies, the event proceeded with only one incident, which saw Kota leaving the venue in protest.
The event started with supporters of the two biggest parties – the ANC and the DA –singing and dancing.
Once the debate itself began, it did not take long before panellists started blaming the ruling African National Congress – for the lack of service delivery in Makana Municipality.
Following an opening statement from each party, the United Front’s Ayanda Kota was first to draw blood.
“We are ruled by thieves. If you want this to stop, vote UF,” he told the crowd to boos of disapproval.
As the volume of the crowd’s reaction grew, many gesturing to Kota to leave, he stormed out of the hall, slamming what he termed the arrogance of the dominant party.
Four panellists, and all but Kota’s supporters remained until the end of the event.
Madyo, too, pulled no punches.
“Makana Municipality is rotten to the core. It is time that people chose the party that cares about the people,” he said.
“We promise accountability. What is happening in Parliament will also happen here.
“Tenders are what corrupt black people,” Madyo said. “As a result, they will instead be given to qualified people.”
Responding to a question from the audience about how they would ensure economic freedom more successfully than the ANC, Economic Freedom Fighters’ Mzwandile Qotoyi said, “The ANC is good in promising, but us, we will deliver through actions.”
One ANC supporter expressed herself passionately from the floor, saying how grateful she was to the ruling party.
“I am a proud member of the ANC. Because of the ANC, my child went to [a respected local school]and today is a student at Rhodes University.
Hers was one of many similar comments from both ANC panellist Matyumza and ANC supporters in the audience, naming the benefits the ANC had brought to ordinary people.
Congress of the People’s (Cope) Nozipho Plaatjie countered this when she said the ANC should not take all the credit, because the money being used to build schools was taxpayers’ money.
Although party supporters at times became very vocal, Mazwai ably managed the situation with professional ease, urging them to respect speakers’ rights to be heard.
The next Radio Grahamstown/RMR/Grocott’s Mail Election Connection debate will be in the Recreation Hall, Albany Road, at 5.30pm on 20 April.
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