Elections 2024| FF+ “making inroads into black communities” as 33 parties contest ANC dominance in Limpopo
THE Freedom Front Plus (FF+) in Limpopo believes it’s making inroads into the black communities, as political parties go for a final push ahead of the 29 May 2024 general elections.
FF+, which was viewed as the “traditionally white party” at its inception, already has a black municipal councillor in Bela-Bela, and a former DA member of parliament, David Matsepe, recently joined the party.
Its leaders have been criss-crossing the province in the past weeks and they visited traditional leaders in the Vhembe, Mopani and Sekhukhune districts.
The party’s provincial leader, Marcelle Maritz, reportedly said: “We have a councillor in Bela-Bela for the past two and half years. We are recruiting each week approximately 200 to 500 new members in the black communities.
“People are reaching to us as well ….They are reaching to us for change because they are tired of corruption.”
The party’s strategy may entail increasing votes that will ultimately feed at the national level, thereby boosting the multi-party charter aimed at toppling the ANC as a ruling party.
The planned rally in Makhado (formerly Louis Trichardt) showgrounds on Saturday may be a test of its assertion that it has amassed potential black votes in the upcoming elections.
A record high of 34 parties, including two independents, have registered to contest the provincial elections, which will be the most highly contested in history so far.
The high contestation threaten to reduce the dominance of the ANC in the province, which currently stands at 75,4% from the previous elections. The ANC arch-rival in the province, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) will also hold its final rally in Polokwane for a final push in the area.
However, John Mpe, who is the chairperson of ANC Peter Mokaba region which is expected to be the hotbed of contestation for the party, did not believe the party’s dominance was under threat.
He said the ANC will contest the elections “like any other political party in the country”.
“We are not targeting a specific party. We are targeted by parties actually. That’s why you will never hear us talking about them, but they talk about us everyday. Our strategy is to win the elections” Mpe said.
