Only the DA is big enough to beat the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal

11 May 2024

Note to Editors: Please find below the an extract from speech delivered by DA KZN Premier Candidate, Chris Pappas, today during the DA KZN Rescue Rally event at Curries Fountain Stadium. Please find full speech attached (here).

Please also find attached pictures (here, here & here) and soundbites in English and IsiZulu.

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.

These flash mob parties, these popcorn parties spend more time fighting the DA than opposing the ANC.

We have seen it time and again: in eThekwini, in Msunduzi, in KwaDukuza, in Umdoni. Each and every time, small parties vote with the ANC and keep them in 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.

It’s only the DA that has gone to court to stop the ANC’s abuse of your money because, in truth, only the DA is strong enough in KwaZulu-Natal to do this.

It is the DA that got a personal costs order against the Municipal Manager in Umdoni who attempted to steal our council seat in that municipality.

It is the DA the led the Zuma Must Fall marches in eThekwini when we warned against state capture years ago.

It is the DA who took the previous municipal manager in uMngeni to court because she refused to leave her office.

It is the DA that took the Msunduzi Municipality to court after they gave R27 million of your money to a billionaire to fund her football club.

It is the DA that secured a trial date of the 8th of August against the eThekwini Municipality for the ongoing sewage and water crisis.

And it will be the DA that brings the water crisis in the Ugu district to an end through our impending court challenge.

While the DA is fighting the ANC and fighting for a better future, small parties are fighting the DA. And that is the truth of this election.

The DA is the only party that is getting the job done and fighting back against the ANC.

So, when you go to the ballot box on the 29th of May, 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.

For over six decades (65 years), the Democratic Alliance has championed the values of freedom, fairness, opportunity, and diversity. Our commitment is to the long-term progress of our nation, not just short-term wins. We are steadfast in our goal to see an open opportunity society for all where, no matter the circumstances of your birth, you can achieve your dreams.

I promise you my unwavering commitment, and this Provincial Executive’s commitment to rescue this province from the corruption and criminality of the ANC.

The people of my generation, like the generation that used to gather here at Curries Fountain Stadium all those years ago, must now fight for the freedom of every person oppressed by poverty and unemployment.

On May 29, we can make history. We can liberate ourselves from new forms of oppression.
In isiZulu we say, AMANDLA AWETHU, the power is ours. We need to use the power that previous generations fought for. And we need to use that power to create peaceful, meaningful, and long-lasting change in our province. But we need to vote.

For the past six months, we have been hard at work showing the people of this beautiful province that change is within arm’s reach. We have told every DA voter that if they bring one other person to vote for the DA on election day, we can win KZN. And that is why we have said that 1 + 1 = WIN.

Come May 29th, I believe the Democratic Alliance will stand as the largest party in KwaZulu-Natal. But to reach this milestone, our mission for the next 18 days is clear: we must reach every doorstep, share every video, change our WhatsApp statuses, engage with every voter, and make our presence felt on every street corner.

We cannot afford to wake up on May 30th with regrets, wondering if there was more, we could have done. The hopes of future generations are upon us.

I know it’s been a long campaign. I am aware of the intimidation we face in our streets. Yet, the stakes of this election are too high for us to ever say, "We could have done more."

So today I am calling on all of you to stand up with me. Let us carry the message of hope throughout KZN. Join me in the fight to reclaim our future. For the next 18 days, let us cover every corner of this province, reigniting the spirit of 1994 - a spirit filled with unity and endless possibilities.

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.

Issued by Chris Pappas, DA KZN Premier Candidate, 11 May 2024