Rise Mzansi says it will prioritise investment in local and regional infrastructure to create employment and offer skills training for people.
The party’s leader, Songezo Zibi, was campaigning in Kimberley, Northern Cape, on Tuesday. He also held a door-to-door campaign in Roodepan and a rally in Galeshewe.
Some residents told the party how they felt about political parties during the campaign. Residents say every election year, they always get empty promises from political parties and they are tired of being lied to. They say political parties make empty promises so they can gain more votes.
Kimberley resident Linda April says, “I don’t expect they will be a change of anything, and so on, because they are a small party, they just started now, the thing is people will go again for the biggest party. They say they won’t promise anything, they’re just going to see what they can do. That is not what people want to hear, people want to hear what you can do for the community not what you can see for the community, so they don’t want promises, they want action.”
#WeNeedNewLeaders#RISEMzansi https://t.co/UN5oJjj5T6
— RISE Mzansi (@Rise_Mzansi) March 19, 2024
Another resident, Agnes Tallies says. “Make a change for us. We are always being promised but people never come through for us and help. After elections people are then quiet but when we need to vote they are there.”
Zibi says one thing that sets them apart from other parties is that they do not make empty promises. “We don’t promise people miracles, we tell them that democracy is like a stokvel, you put something in, you get something out. So we always set out to work with people, to solve the issues. The only thing we do is promise that we will go fight together with them.
“We are not going to create miracles. Because we believe that the government of the day must meet its obligation. We are not a government, we are a political organisation, We can’t do things for people, we must do things with the people so that politics becomes about the personal things that affect people. And people receive that message very well,” Zibi explains.
Zibi says while the party has not contested previous elections as it was only formed in 2023, they do have support. He says this is indicated in the 112-thousand signatures the party received to register for the upcoming elections.
