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Transcript/Script((PLAYBOOK SLUG: South Africa Election Preview (TVR)
HEADLINE: Analysts say South Africa’s election won’t be business as usual for the African National Congress
TEASER: The ANC has been in power since the end of apartheid, 30 years ago
PUBLISHED: Monday, 05/27/2024 at 04:32 EDT
BYLINE: Mariama Diallo
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Nairobi, Kenya
VIDEOGRAPHER: Zaheer Cassim
PRODUCER: Zaheer Cassim
SCRIPT EDITORS: dmw, pcd, wpm
VIDEO SOURCES: VOA original
PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO _X_
TRT: 3:52
VID APPROVED BY: mas
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES:))
((INTRO))
[[The African National Congress has been governing South Africa since 1994, when Nelson Mandela was elected president following the end of apartheid. But as voters get ready to go to the polls on May 29th, the party known for its opposition to apartheid faces dissatisfaction from some citizens who feel the party has not delivered on its promises. VOA Nairobi Bureau Chief Mariama Diallo has this story.
((NARRATOR))
On the streets of Johannesburg, posters of candidates are displayed all over the city. One voter tells VOA he wants continuation and will cast his ballot for the African National Congress. Another says he’s had enough and will vote for the Democratic Alliance.
((Thabo Molobi, Voter))
“Thirty years of democracy is probably 30 years of policy. We need another 30 years of implementing those policies and seeing them come through to fruition.”
((Karam Ezzideen, Voter))
“DA [Democratic Alliance] because they are all about change. Enough is enough, we’ve had enough of the empty promises.”
((MANDATORY CG: www.youtube.com/@MyANC))
((Mandatory> YouTube logo))
((NAT POP… ANC Ad))
((Courtesy: ANC Ad))
In a promo video, ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa says they’ve made progress in meeting the basic needs of the people of South Africa.
((Voice of Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa))
“We are putting South Africa to work by investing in our people to ensure that no one is left behind.”
((END COURTESY))
((NARRATOR))
Daryl Glaser, associate professor at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg says it's going to be the closest election since the era of inclusive democracy began in South Africa in 1994.
((Daryl Glaser, University of Witwatersrand))
“All the opinion polls are suggesting there’s a very serious chance the ANC is going to fall below 50% of the vote and that it’s going to be forced into some kind of coalition.”
((NARRATOR))
Glaser and other analysts have told VOA that allegations of corruption, scandals, and disunity within the ANC have helped the opposition gain ground, including the Economic Freedom Fighters party led by Julius Malema, a former ANC youth leader, and the newly formed uMkhonto we Sizwe party, for which former president Jacob Zuma has been campaigning.
((Daryl Glaser, University of Witwatersrand))
“Jacob Zuma’s party uMkhonto we Sizwe or MK has been a completely unexpected surprise. It arrived on the scene quite late in the run up to the elections and completely scrambled everything. The EFF certainly appeals to a certain audience and it’s been growing // In some ways, MK is as much a threat to the EFF as it is to the ANC if not more so because it’s capturing some of the discontented.”
((NARRATOR))
Nine days before the election, South Africa's top court ruled that Zuma was not eligible to run for parliament because of a past criminal conviction.
The ruling came two days after Zuma told thousands of supporters at a rally in Soweto that his MK party would help ease joblessness among other issues if it won.
South Africa's unemployment rate has reached 32% according to the World Bank, making it issue number one for many of the voters.
((Kathryn Defenn, Voter))
“I think our biggest challenge as a country is our rate of unemployment, which is one of the biggest in the world.”
((Oupa Muhadi, Voter))
“I’ll be voting for Action SA. I think that party has got what we want in the country. Right now, we got a problem with crime, // there’s no work.”
((Kurmola Manilall), Voter))
“For me, it’ll be poverty and unemployment // the lack of maintenance of infrastructure is another pressing issue.”
((NARRATOR))
Nearly half of the country’s 62 million people have registered to vote, says Thabo Masemola, an Independent Electoral Commission official, and he says they are prepared to manage the vote efficiently, as they’ve done historically.
((Thabo Masemola, Independent Electoral Commission Officer))
“The certified voter’s roll is currently sitting at 27.7 million and we use the voter’s roll as the basis to prepare and plan for the elections. So, all the relevant materials are in place.”
((courtesy: File footage))
((NARRATOR))
He says the IEC has accredited 160 organizations, both domestic and international, to observe the election and ensure its transparency.
((MARIAMA DIALLO, VOA NEWS))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
Subtitles / Dubbing AvailableNo
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateMay 27, 2024 04:41 EDT
BylineMariama Diallo
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
