JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s ruling African National Congress staged its last major stadium rally on Saturday ahead of next week’s general election as it fights to protect its unbeaten streak of post-apartheid victories.

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s party summoned the faithful and bussed in the undecided to fill more than two-thirds of the 90,000-seat FNB stadium between Johannesburg and Soweto and give his re-election bid some buzz.

“We will do more and we will do better,” the 71-year-old millionaire former businessman told the crowd, branding the ANC “the only political party in the whole of South Africa that can bring so many people together in one place”.

“We gather here carrying together the hopes and aspirations of millions,” he said. “Our people will decide whether our country continues to move forward with the ANC to a brighter future or turns back to a terrible past.” The president won occasional cheers as he pledged not to scrap black economic empowerment programmes and suggested a possible raise in grant money for the poor.

But the crowd was already thinning markedly when musical entertainment gave way to his hour-long speech.

“There was not much people here at the stadium today, the reason being we always hear the same story time and time and again and nothing changes. We are tired,” said 35-year-old Lydia, whose mood was less bright than her yellow hat and T-shirt.

Her friend Judy agreed: “Before, the ANC would fill this stadium.”

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2024