DA KZN Premier candidate Chris Pappas. Photographer: Khaya Ngwenya / Independent Newspapers
LUNGANI ZUNGU
Durban — Fresh from the election advert blunder, the DA filled up the historic Curries Fountain Stadium during its “Rescue KZN Rally” in Durban on Saturday.
The official opposition party, which has been on a public relations overdrive after the spectacular backlash following its elections advert, that showed the South African flag being burned, introduced a new advert during the rally on Saturday.
The SABC wasted no time in pulling the plug on the first advert, saying it was against the broadcasting regulations.
Scores of DA supporters, clad in the party’s traditional blue colours, attended the rally in Durban as parties accelerated their campaigns ahead of the May 29 elections.
The party estimated the crowd to be over 10 000.
DA’s KwaZulu-Natal premier candidate, Chris Pappas, launched a blistering attack on small parties, labelling them “flash mob and popcorn parties”.
He urged voters to snub them at the polls and vote for the DA.
Speaking in English and Zulu, Pappas gave a rousing speech, saying: “We know the urgency required to turn this province around to stop the suffering and to restore hope. But the reality is that none of this will be possible if we allow the small parties that pop up in every election to succeed.”
He added: “These flash mob parties, these popcorn parties spend more time fighting the DA than opposing the ANC.”
Despite the DA being the third largest party in KZN, Pappas told the cheering crowd that his party was the only one that had the muscle to oust the ANC from power.
“Only the DA in KZN is truly opposed to the ANC; and the DA is the only party that offers a tried and tested alternative in this province.”
The DA and the IFP, official opposition in KZN, have teamed up along with small parties in a bid to topple the ANC from power nationally and also in KZN, a highly-contested province.
Speaking about DA’s successes, he said it was the DA that took the Msunduzi Municipality to court after it gave R27 million of your money to a billionaire to fund her football club Royal AM FC.
Pappas said it was the DA that secured a trial date of August 8, against the eThekwini Municipality for the ongoing sewage and water crisis besetting many areas in the city.
However, he further said while the DA was fighting the ANC for a “better future”, small parties were allegedly clashing with the official opposition.
“The DA is the only party that is getting the job done and fighting back against the ANC,” said Pappas.
“So, when you go to the ballot box on May 29, you will have one choice to make, and that is between an ANC-led government in KZN or a DA-led government in this province.”
That is the critical choice that every voter must make in this election, he said.
If elected to power, the DA government would end corruption, robustly fight crime and create jobs for the millions of unemployed South African’s, said Pappas.
As parties intensified their campaigns in KZN, Pappas conceded that the stakes were high.
“Together, as the blue machine in KZN, we will march forward to reclaim power from those who are corrupt and uncaring, restoring power to where it truly belongs with the people.”
Party leader John Steenhuisen said it was a momentous and historic event that the DA was holding its rally at Curries Fountain where the ANC alliance partner, the Cosatu, was formed in 1985.
Steenhuisen, originally from Durban, said the writing was on the wall for the ANC.
“This province is ready for a new way – for a better way, built upon hope. And all of that starts on May 29 when the people of KwaZulu-Natal will rise up as one to kick the failed ANC out of power,” said Steenhuisen.
The party supporters were enthralled by dazzling performances by, among others, the Durban-based Mthokozisi Khathi, otherwise known as DJ Tira by his legion of fans.
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