DA to score in cities as urban voters protest against corruption – #Elections2019 survey

EDINBURGH — It has been about a year since Jacob Zuma and many in his gang of thugs were removed from running South Africa, but their legacy lives on in the form of corruption that has scarred business activities and life in general. Corruption is the major issue on city-slickers’ minds as they go to the voting stations this week, with a new BizNews #Elections2019 survey indicating widespread support for the DA and business-savvy ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa, though not the ANC. Comments made by survey respondents indicate that South Africans are gatvol of graft and state capture. – Jackie Cameron

By Thulasizwe Sithole

South Africans living in cities are likely to cast their votes for the Democratic Alliance, a last-minute BizNews #Election2019 survey indicates.

Although city dwellers would like to see President Cyril Ramaphosa continue cleaning up on corruption and fixing the broken economy, most voters say they will cast their ballots for their preferred party rather than a party leader.

The BizNews survey is the second this year. More than 3,000 BizNews visitors immediately responded to the request to share their election choices when the survey arrived in their in-box on May 5.

The new ZACP, a pro-capitalism party set up by journalists, has attracted supporters quickly in urban areas, with its leader Kanthan Pillay outpacing politicians like Mangosuthu Buthelezi and Terror Lekota as a favourite for president.

Comments reflect widespread fatigue with corruption, red-tape that is curbing economic growth and social problems stemming from high unemployment.

The Economic Freedom Fighters party, headed by race-baiting Julius Malema and which openly supports Venezuela-style economic policies, is the group that urban South Africans would least like to see in the corridors of political power. In fact, Malema is possibly the most disliked politician in cities.

Most voters claim to not be influenced by the media when it comes to deciding where to place their cross. But, where they are influenced, news websites like BizNews play a more central role in helping voters make decisions than the social media, said respondents.

Most survey participants live in Gauteng, the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

 

The results were similar to the first BizNews #Election2019 survey.

In the first #Election2019 survey, BizNews found that a significant number of voters were swayed by Eskom power cuts.

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