Zuma headed for landslide

South Africa heads to the polls on Wednesday for their fourth post-apartheid election, and it seems clear that Jacob Zuma will lead the African National Congress to its fourth consecutive landslide victory.

The Democratic Alliance, one of the two major opposition parties, has shifted its campaign focus away from trying to defeat the government, towards preventing Zuma from winning a two-thirds majority, which would give him the power to easily amend the constitution:

Addressing a crowd of DA supporters outside Parliament, party leader Helen Zille said the success of South Africa’s democracy depended on preventing the ANC getting the two-thirds majority it needed to change the Constitution.

So far, the “controlling clique” in the ANC had already disbanded the Scorpions, fired former National Prosecuting Authority head Vusi Pikoli, and “engineered” the premature release from prison of ANC president Jacob Zuma’s benefactor Schabir Shaik.

“All these steps have been taken to prevent the successful investigation and prosecution of corruption charges against Zuma and his cohorts.

“With this background, it is clear that Zuma will stop at nothing to undermine the Constitution and the rule of law to enrich and protect himself and his cronies,” Zille said.

The Democratic Alliance is attempting to win in Western Cape province, which is substantially more ethnically diverse than the rest of the country, and includes Cape Town, whose Mayor, Helen Zille, is leading the DA campaign.

Meanwhile, the leader of the ANC’s youth league has caused a storm with vicious comments against the leadership of the party’s main rivals:

ANC Youth League (ANCYL) president Julius Malema laid down the gauntlet to the ANC breakaway party Congress of the People (Cope) when he declared yesterday that the ANC will get a “three-thirds majority” in next week’s elections. “Come Wednesday, we will be burying Cope. After April 22 some among them who have weak hearts will get heart attacks and for those who have diabetes, it will be high,” said Malema.

[…]

The youth leader did not mince his words when he took a swipe at DA leader Helen Zille , Cope leaders, the media and the suspended ANC councillors who were suspected of being Cope members at Mbashe Local Municipality. “Helen Zille is racist and fake, even her face is not original. Her real face is ugly, that is why she had plastic surgery. DA’s policies are just as fake as her,” said Malema, referring to Zille’s Botox admission He also criticised Zille and Independent Democrats leader Patricia De Lille for imitating ANC president Jacob Zuma by singing at their political rallies. “Zille is so ugly that she looks like an apartheid agent. Her dancing is worse. When she dances it seems as if (s)he misses apartheid,” added Malema, to the laughter of the 500-strong crowd.

He also attacked Cope leaders, calling them “Mickey Mouse and clowns”. In a largely combative speech, Malema accused the 21 suspended councillors of “turning against the ANC”. “We are going to dissolve this municipality’s (Mbashe) council and bring an administrator here to deal with all the service delivery problems in this area.”

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