Ramaphosa Dismisses Surveys and ‘Mickey Mouse’ Parties, says ANC Will Finish On Top

Addressing thousands of ANC supporters at Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane during the party’s final rally, popularly known as the Siyanqoba Rally, Ramaphosa urged ANC volunteers not to rest but to continue persuading people to go out and vote.

He said the surveys were not a true reflection of the ANC’s support and that no political party could match the majority party in the Government of National Unity, despite attempts to convince South Africans otherwise.

“Those who think they are educated are quoting surveys, which project the downfall of the ANC. There’s no truth in those surveys. The ANC will be above other political parties, which I call Mickey Mouse parties,” said Ramaphosa.

He said the ANC had listened to people across all sectors of society and that South Africans were clear about their aspirations, which he said only the ANC had the capacity to fulfil.

“We heard them saying they​ want us to work diligently to advance the lives of our people,” said Ramaphosa.

He said, apart from listening to communities, the ANC had allowed residents to choose the candidates they want to represent them in municipal councils.

“We are the only party that has the party machinery, but we can’t dictate to the people. We have allowed communities to choose people who will serve them in the councils,” said Ramaphosa.

He urged communities to turn out in numbers and vote for the candidates they had nominated.

Ramaphosa said the ANC wanted to improve service delivery in municipalities.

“We want our municipalities to improve and work better for our people and become faces of opportunities. They must become faces of growth and development,” he said.

Ramaphosa said municipalities must be properly run, manage public funds responsibly, maintain public infrastructure and support economic development.

He warned that councillors who underperformed would be relieved of their responsibilities and also warned those who would become mayors that they must understand that leadership was about serving the people.

“We are also going to remove mayors that are stealing public funds, because those are not the kind of mayors we want.

"Comrades are also asking us to end the culture where political offices are treated like an entitlement. Leadership is not about status; it is about service. It is not about personal advancement and for public representatives to drive fancy cars,” said Ramaphosa.

He said the ANC’s poor performance in the 2024 elections, when it received 40% of the vote, was caused by complacency among its supporters, who failed to vote because they assumed the party would win without their participation.

Ramaphosa urged ANC volunteers to each bring at least 10 people to voting stations.

“Volunteers must encourage everyone wandering around the streets of their communities to go and vote for the ANC. We must never take it for granted that the ANC has already won.

"Bring them out in their hundreds, in their thousands and in their millions. That is the final push we ask from our volunteers,” said Ramaphosa.

He said the persuasion effort must start in the home, joking that the first-person volunteers should convince to vote was their partner.

“If you are sleeping with your partner on the fourth, wake them up in the morning and say, ‘My love, let’s go and vote,'” said Ramaphosa, to the amusement of supporters at the stadium.