Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi says the ANC has no fear going into these elections, insisting the outcome must be left in the hands of the people.
Lesufi, who cast his vote at 10:30 on Wednesday at Thuto Ke Matla High School in Tembisa, near where he grew up, was asked whether the ANC feared the outcome of the 2026 Local Government Elections.
“No we don’t. We didn’t say the ANC shall govern when we adopted the Freedom Charter. We said the people shall govern,” he said.
“The only limitation is these challenges I’ve just outlined. I really feel that there might be some people who, because they fear the ballot, they’re using other things to influence the outcome.”
Lesufi said the ANC had subjected itself to democratic principles and democratic choices, and the elections were the only way to know if people were happy or not.
He also addressed voter apathy, saying staying away was not an option.
“Staying away is not an option. We need to know as government whether we’re on the right track or not. And we can only know if people express their views,” he said.
On water challenges in parts of Gauteng on Election Day, Lesufi said the situation was frustrating and suspicious.
“We planned for this day, and for the last six months, we’ve been meeting every Tuesday to ensure that there’s electricity, there is water,” he said.
“Something sinister just crept in. And we have to understand who’s behind that and why suddenly there is this problem.”
He said if people have to queue for water tankers rather than queue to vote, it is an indictment of the challenges facing the province.
Reflecting on voting at his childhood school, Lesufi said it brought back memories.
“This school, before it was built, it was an open belt. I used to play here when I was a kid. And when I grew up, this was my library,” he said.
“I’m happy that I’ve cast my vote where I was born and where my life has been shaped.”