As South Africans await President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement of the 2024 general election date, Abahlali baseMjondolo says it will vote against the ANC.
The movement representative and spokesperson Thapelo Mohapi said Abahlali urged citizens to do the same.
The movement blamed the governing ANC for the many social ills in the country over the past three decades.
“In April, it will be 30 years since the end of apartheid. In that time, we have watched and suffered as the promise of the new society has been betrayed by the ANC.
“We have witnessed corrupt leaders continuing to enrich themselves and their families at the expense of the poor majority.
“We have seen inequalities grow as more and more people are unemployed or precariously employed, including by labour brokers.
“We have watched as the ANC continues to impose devastating economic policies, including brutal austerity, on the country as more and more people are pushed into poverty and the poor get poorer,” Mohapi said
He said that after 30 years of the ANC running the government, many more citizens were living in shacks now than during the apartheid era.
Mohapi said the cost of living was escalating.
“Millions of people are without work and millions are going without food. The unionised working class is also struggling, and even many people in the middle classes are struggling and find that their salaries are finished after a week or two.
“The governing party has not only failed to resolve the crisis of mass impoverishment. It has also failed to deal with the massive corruption in its ranks.
“In fact, it even wants some of its most corrupt leaders to campaign for the party in the coming election,” said the spokesperson.
Mohapi was referring to the ANC asking the eThekweni regional chairperson and former mayor Zandile Gumede to participate in its campaign and mobilisation of voters during the recent voter registration weekend.
He said it was unfortunate that in the upcoming elections, one would not be able to find a political party that would exclusively support most of the people who were oppressed and marginalised.
Mohapi said the movement would sit the election out, adding that it was paramount that the ANC led governments did not come back as the governing party.
“The time to vote along the line of history is long gone. We are thankful to all those who have fought for this country’s democracy.
“People fought for our freedom in many different organisations and not just the ANC or uMkhonto weSizwe as we are made to believe. The ANC does not own the history of resistance in our country.
“However, we respect its members who fought for freedom along with all others who fought for freedom.”
Abahlali baseMjondolo is a socialist shack dwellers’ movement in South Africa which primarily campaigns for land, housing and dignity, to democratise society from below and against xenophobia.
The Star
Sipho Jack
sipho.jack@inl.co.za