Democratic Alliance leader, John Steenhuisen, says he sees no reason for the local government elections to be postponed.
He was speaking to the media in Gqeberha on Saturday, after addressing the party’s “Time for Change” virtual election rally.
Steenhuisen called on the Electoral Commission to decide “once and for all” whether or not the elections were going ahead on 27 October, as announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
He was responding to the decision by the IEC to appoint retired judge Dikganga Moseneke to review whether current conditions were conducive for holding free and fair elections, including concerns about a Covid19 third wave.
Steenuisen said regular elections were the foundation-stone of any democracy, adding that this week’s by-elections showed that it could be done.
He said it was the ANC that didn’t want to go to the polls in the current circumstances, with the economy free-fall and having botched the vaccine roll-out, among other pressing issues facing the governing party.
“We innovate to find a way around, over or through, and then we get on with it. Because we know we have a big and urgent job to do, and there is no time to waste.
However, he said not everyone shares the same urgency and eagerness to go to the polls in October.
“Our opponents are trying their best to wriggle their way out of it. They’re either simply not prepared for this campaign, or they fear what voters might say to them on the day.”
“We demonstrated that we can still campaign as we've shown today. We want to meet them on the battleground on 27 October and we are confident that we are going to do well,” Steenhuisen said.
