The Eastern Cape Legislature says it’s all systems go for the first sitting in Bhisho.
Members who will be part of the seventh government administration will be sworn in on Friday and were taken through an orientation process at the East London International Convention Centre.
ANC Chairperson Oscar Mabuyane is expected to be re-elected as Premier for a second term, after the party received an overwhelming victory during the 2024 national and provincial elections.
The Legislature says it expects an incident free swearing in ceremony. The ceremony will have 72 seats with the ANC occupying 46. It will comprise of eight political parties following seats won by the Patriotic Alliance and MK Party.
“In our midst, we have 33 new members that will be sworn in for the first time in the Legislature and it’s important that they are brought on board to understand what the expectations for the first sitting when they are to be sworn in,” says Nomawethu Ngcakani, Secretary of the Eastern Cape Legislature.
Around 400 guests have been invited for the first sitting of the Legislature.
Video: Provincial Legislatures – E Cape legislature members’ orientation
The Eastern Cape Legislature says it’s all systems go for the first sitting in Bhisho.
Members who will be part of the seventh government administration will be sworn in on Friday and were taken through an orientation process at the East London International Convention Centre.
ANC Chairperson Oscar Mabuyane is expected to be re-elected as Premier for a second term, after the party received an overwhelming victory during the 2024 national and provincial elections.
The Legislature says it expects an incident free swearing in ceremony. The ceremony will have 72 seats with the ANC occupying 46. It will comprise of eight political parties following seats won by the Patriotic Alliance and MK Party.
“In our midst, we have 33 new members that will be sworn in for the first time in the Legislature and it’s important that they are brought on board to understand what the expectations for the first sitting when they are to be sworn in,” says Nomawethu Ngcakani, Secretary of the Eastern Cape Legislature.
Around 400 guests have been invited for the first sitting of the Legislature.
Video: Provincial Legislatures – E Cape legislature members’ orientation
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research’s (CSIR) prediction model indicates that the Patriotic Alliance (PA) in the Eastern Cape may secure two seats in the provincial legislature.
This is the first time the party contested the National and Provincial elections.
With 99.9% of the votes counted in the province PA is fifth with 2.32%.
The African National Congress (ANC) is leading with 62.5% followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) with 14.63% and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) are third with 10.03%.
The PA’s Provincial Secretary Ellen Khumalo says they will advocate for policies that seek to address the unemployment rate in the province.
Khumalo says, “We have got to provide more jobs for our people, we can go into this and that for instance, the health, the Education Department but for now we need to create more jobs because we need to cut down on those figures that’s so dominant in South Africa the high unemployment figure. Our people need to put bread on the table that’s what we will be concentrating on.”
VIDEO: Analysis of Patriotic Alliance’s performance:
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen has defended the party’s controversial election advert that includes images of the South African flag going up in flames.
He says the advert is a reminder to voters who will vote for an ANC, EFF and MK Party coalition in the national and provincial elections later this month.
Steenhuisen describes a coalition of these parties as a ‘doomsday coalition’ that will cause economic decline for the country. Steenhuisen took the party’s election campaign under the theme “Rescue SA”, to East London.
The election advert was launched on Sunday. It has already gone past three million views on various platforms, including social media. The ad has been widely criticised for the imagery it uses. The DA stands by it, undeterred.
“We have used the flag as the allegory of the problems that South Africa is currently facing. Our economy is burning, our infrastructure is burning, our unemployment rate is burning, our child malnutrition rate is burning, and all of these things are setting the country back and the advert says that if we want to accelerate that burn then get the ANC doomsday coalition with the EFF out,” says Steenhuisen.
The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture is considering legal action against the advert and the party.
“The Democratic Alliance decided to insult and offend the nation by showing a political advertisement depicting and showing burning of SA flag. The minister adds that the flag represents our nation it represents the coming together of our people besides the flag represents our diversity and our unity,” says Litha Mpondwana, Spokesperson for Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture.
Steenhuisen has promised two million jobs for the people of the province, should the DA govern it.
Video: 2024 Elections – DA Steenhuisen leader defends election advert
