Thousands of South Africans gathered in the city to show their support for the country’s largest opposition party as it prepares for a highly anticipated national election in which it aims to take control of the government from the incumbent African National Congress.
Many Democratic Alliance supporters gathered in Pretoria’s Union Buildings, the official seat of South Africa’s government, to show their belief that the party would improve basic services and handle some of the country’s challenging difficulties.
These include a deteriorating electricity problem, which has resulted in power outages for residents and businesses daily.
Participants at the Democratic Alliance convention also emphasized South Africa’s over 32% unemployment rate, with the party promising to create at least 2 million new jobs if it wins this year’s general election.
The date of the National Assembly and province elections has not been established, but it is projected to fall between May and August.
Democratic Alliance supporters marched through the streets of the city before hearing party leader John Steenhuisen deliver a fiery speech in which he pledged to depose the African National Congress and accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of enabling ANC members and officials to commit corruption.
South Africa’s 2018 elections have been billed as one of the most difficult yet for the ruling party, with recent polls indicating that the ANC may earn less than 50% of the national vote for the first time since the country’s white minority rule ended in 1994.
During the 2019 elections, the Democratic Alliance got slightly more than 20% of the national vote, remaining the country’s second-largest party behind the ANC.
The party is presently considering creating a governing coalition with several other opposition parties to dethrone the ANC if they win more than 50% of the national vote.
South Africa’s political system elects the president, therefore a party or coalition with a parliamentary majority controls both the executive and legislative branches.
If the ANC’s support falls below 50% in the polls, the party will have to strike arrangements with minor parties to ensure Ramaphosa’s re-election.
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