Cape Town - The ANC in the Western Cape has disputed claims that it has no money to put up election posters, as many parties’ banners already lined street lamps across the province ahead of the May 29 elections.
With 42 days to go before voters head to the polls, ANC posters are nowhere to be seen, while those of rival political parties including the DA, EFF, GOOD Party, Bosa, Rise Mzansi, and even independent candidates like Zackie Achmat, are all over the city.
ANC Western Cape spokesperson Khalid Sayed explained: “Let me dispel the myth. There are no financial challenges facing the ANC in the Western Cape.
“Posters are centrally distributed to provinces by the national structure of the ANC, and we are awaiting the arrival of the posters.
“Once those posters arrive, they will be put up on the poles.”
Sayed said the party was currently working hard on its door-to-door campaign, which was its main focus at the moment.
A high-ranking ANC member in the province told the Cape Argus that the posters had already been made, however, it seemed the party had no funds yet to release it.
“We have a meeting (today), and we will hear what the party has to say.
“I don’t know what is holding it up, the posters are already there, however, it seems like there’s no money to release them,” said the member, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe said the ANC faced three challenges.
“The first has to do with managing its internal fights. These arise from the inconsistent application of stepaside rules. After shielding President Cyril Ramaphosa from Phala Phala, it can’t discipline anyone. This makes it directionless.”
He said the second challenge was that funders abandoned Ramaphosa.
“They consider him to be an absolute disappointment. These are funders who were never prepared to fund the party. With the prospect of the ANC polling badly, below 50%, it has to be careful where to put the money,” said Seepe.
“Third, the emergence and growth of the MK Party has disoriented the ANC leadership.
“At the same time, there are suggestions that it is time that Ramaphosa is shown the door.
“If the ANC polls badly, as expected, the message will be clear: he isn’t the asset that many were made to believe he was.
“A combination of all of the above creates a sense of anxiety that expresses itself in the seeming lack of preparation.”
Meanwhile, Cape Argus sister publication, The Star, reported earlier this month that the upcoming elections proved to be a nightmare for the ANC in the Free State.
This was because most of the regions had no budget to run their campaigns.
An insider in both the Fezile Dabi and Thabo Mofutsanyane regions told The Star that neither region had funds to put up in their respective areas.
He alleged that the Fezile Dabi regional chairperson Victoria De Beers and her entourage were organising fund-raising for themselves to attend organisational rallies, but they were failing to organise fundraising for the region,” the paper wrote.