ANC national executive committee members on a campaign trail in the hotly contested KwaZulu-Natal are fending off fake news and propaganda that President Cyril Ramaphosa brought in Covid-19, and former president Jacob Zuma is the man behind the R350 social relief of distress (SRD) grant.
The governing party blames these voter sentiments on cheap propaganda propagated by the nascent uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), headed by Zuma.
According to ANC provincial spokesperson Mafika Mndebele, the MKP was the primary source of this disinformation because it targets voters who lack adequate information.
He said the MKP preyed particularly on people in rural areas. “The kingmaster of that is Jacob Zuma himself, and they want to spread disinformation as much as possible,” he said, adding that everyone should know that Covid-19 is an international pandemic.
A national executive committee member said the recent visit by the party’s top brass to the province helped to roll back the MK propaganda. “Residents would say that Ramaphosa brought Covid, and some people believed that,” said the source.
NEC member added: “Being on the ground makes it easier to clear these types of obstacles. Being on the ground and rebutting these things really helps.”
Ramaphosa and his cabinet, according to Mndebele, played a crucial and leading role in safeguarding the lives of South Africans. “South Africa became the leading country in Africa and one of the leading countries in the developing world in terms of how it handled the Covid-19 situation.”
He said Ramaphosa fought for the equal distribution of Covid-19 vaccines among the developing and developed countries.
“Initially, when the virus started, developed countries did not want to take the drugs into Africa, which would have created a disaster.
“President Ramaphosa has championed the battle to ensure that under his leadership, South Africa is increasingly regaining its position on the global stage.”
Mndebele said the government championed the Covid-19 issues very well, and the citizens continued to receive its message very well.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Ramaphosa’s administration introduced the SRD grant of R350 a month as a support mechanism, initially for the unemployed and then to include adults with little or no income.
Originally intended as a temporary measure, it has undergone multiple extensions.
The ANC has committed to converting the R350-a-month SRD grant into a permanent, increased basic income grant for the unemployed.
