NEWS & ANALYSIS

Ace Magashule gifts resident food money on campaign trail in Cape Town

ANC SG confident his party will take the WCape after elections

Magashule gifts resident food money on campaign trail in Cape Town

13 April 2019

ANC secretary general general says him gifting a resident money while on the campaign trail in Phillipi, Cape Town on Saturday was not him "buying votes" but was the "right thing to do".

Magashule was on a door-to-door campaign in the Western Cape ahead of the general elections in May.

In a video posted by the SABC on their Facebook page, Magashule is seen looking inside a resident's fridge. He then speaks to the woman who lives in the house and says "there's no food in this house" to which the woman responds "things are bad here". Magashule then reaches for his pockets and hands the woman R400.

The woman expresses her gratitude as Magashule exits her home.

Magashule, like other senior members of the ANC were on the campaign trail across the country with President Cyril Ramaphosa taking to Kagiso, west of Johannesburg.

Magashule has been on the wrong side of the news since the publication of the book, Gangster State: unravelling Magashule’s web of capture by investigative journalist, Pieter-Louis Myburgh.

The book details Magashule’s alleged iron fist rule while premier of the Free State and his hand in the state capture project.But on Saturday, Magashule was out to urge the people of Phillip to put their X next to the ANC come May 8.He was also seen mounting ANC posters on street poles.

"There is hope. People continue to have hope in the ANC as they are faced with lack of housing and electricity," said Magashule. "

The people are telling us there is no service delivery [in Phillipi] and they think the ANC is in charge in the Western Cape," continued Magashule.

He qualified this statement by saying that residents of Phillipi have not distinguished the different spheres of government: local, provincial and national.

He further added that he is confident the ANC will take the Western Cape after elections because the "voters are disillusioned with the DA".South Africans will head to the polls on May 8, with the president-elect set to be inaugurated on May 25 at Loftus Versfeld stadium, in a diversion from the norm of having the inauguration at the Union Buildings.

On Saturday, the presidency released a statement saying the new venue would allow for more people to be accommodated to witness the important national event.

News24