Daily Sun (May 5 2014) - POLITICAL parties were out in full force at the weekend, making their final appeals for the precious votes of the country's citizens. On Wednesday, voters will go to the polling stations as they did 20 years and 10 days ago. ONCE AGAIN, THE PEOPLE OF MZANSI WILL DECIDE THE FUTURE OF THE COUNTRY.
At FNB Stadium in Soweto, a cheering and ululating crowd welcomed President Jacob Zuma as he started his election address.
It seemed Zuma had received the all important endorsement from ANC members when they rose to their feet and sang "uZuma lo".
But as he spoke a large portion of the 100 000-strong crowd started drifting towards the exits and halfway through his speech, the president was already speaking to half the crowd that had welcomed him.
Zuma said the ANC will continue focusing on the five priorities: education, health, rural development, work creation and fighting corruption.
He said there will be an emphasis on the provision of housing.
"The ANC government will also investigate the introduction of a national minimum wage to reduce income inequality," Zuma told the crowd.
) Yesterday, the DA held a concert at Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown, Soweto following its final rally at the Coca-Cola Dome, north of Joburg.
Helen Zille, the party's leader, appealed to the voters to give her party a chance to lead Mzansi.
"The power to hire and fire politicians is in your hands," she reminded the crowd.
Lindiwe Mazibuko, the DA's parliamentary leader, said Mzansi deserves far better than it is currently getting from the ANC.
Mazibuko touched on the controversy of Nkandla and how taxpayers' money was used to upgrade Zuma's homestead.
About 8 000 people attended the meeting.
The DA said buses ferrying their supporters had been stoned, allegedly by ANC members, and Mmusi Maimane, the DA's premier candidate for Gauteng, said it was an indication that the ANC was scared of losing Gauteng.
) In Atteridgeville, Tshwane EFF commander-in-chief Julius Malema addressed the estimated 30 000 supporters who had packed the Lucas "Masterpieces" Moripe Stadium.
"This is the festival of the poor of the poor," said Malema to loud cheering.
Among other things, Malema took a swipe at the ANC and its leaders like Blade Nzimande, kwaito artists Arthur Mafokate and Chomee as well as IEC chairwoman Pansy Tlakula, accusing her of being out to fix votes.
Malema said the EFF will build better RDPs.
"Not those that collapse after three weeks," he said.
Malema warned political opponents that the EFF is here to stay.
"They can't wish us away," he warned. He said the EFF was the future.
He promised if the EFF did not deliver within five years its members would have the right to hold the party to account.
"We want to deliver the best of the best to all of you," Malema said.
"When I become president I will have only one house," he said, referring to the president's two official residences in Pretoria and Cape Town as well as Zuma's private homestead in Nkandla.
Malema paid special tribute to Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. He said she was the EFF's inspiration for placing gender and women's issues high on the EFF's agenda.
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