With less than a month before South Africans head out in their thousands to the polls, political parties are pulling out all the stops to get votes. From politicians canvassing every corner of the country to billboards featuring politicians faces plastered on every street poll, you can’t escape election fever. Another electioneering tool political parties are using is election advertisements.
African National Congress (ANC)
The ANC got into a bit of trouble with one of its election campaign videos. Released on Twitter, the video featured model Rethabile Lethoko. Many social media users said the party was using women for campaigning. At the time the ANC’s head of elections Fikile Mbaulula said there was nothing wrong with the advert and the people who had a problem with it were the perverts.
The party’s other adverts feature voters from around the country explaining why they are voting for the ANC in the May 8 elections.
With the overhead in the video saying: “A new dawn is breaking over South Africa…” the election video continues with the Thuma Mina vibes of the Cyril Ramaphosa presidency.
“The ANC is on the path of renewal – a path that will see us continue from where our growth had stopped,” says the advert with scenes of ordinary South Africans interspersed in between. They also claim they are fighting corruption and state capture.
Democratic Alliance DA
The official opposition has released two official adverts. The latest released by the party features a catchy chorus of schoolgirls saying: “Killing us, killing us.” The DA’s youth leader Luyolo Mpithi is the face of the advert and encourages South Africans to vote for change or else risk being in the dark. (Literally by alluding to loadshedding)
The first advert has a prayer type vibe with different South African praying to their respective deities for protection for their children. The advert ends up with South Africans coming together under the DA’s banner once more seeming to say that the DA is the party to protect South Africans so that the country can unite under one banner of One South For All.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)
The Red Berets launched their advert during the first of April. It takes the viewer through the supposed gains the party has made and why people should be voting for them. With the voiceover of the party’s leader Julius Malema he says the party were responsible for the Fees Must Fall movement and Outsourcing Must fall Movement. Their advert seems to say their party has overcome many odds and criticisms and will continue to do so in the upcoming elections.
African People’s Convention (APC)
Freedom Front Plus (FF+)
The FF+ video has a drone image of Table Mountain with a voiceover calling for South Africans to vote for the party. Their video is titled: A South Africa free from discrimination. Their video calls for South Africans to vote for a party who will ensure that minorities have equal rights. It ends with the voice saying: “We dream of a better future, not a better past.”
