DA leader John Steenhuisen yesterday unveiled the main opposition’s grand plan to snatch the KwaZulu-Natal government from the ANC, anchored around the popularity of Pietermaritzburg mayor Christopher Pappas.
During a party rally at the Curries Fountain Stadium in Durban, Steenhuisen confidently predicted that Pappas would emerge as the province’s next premier, citing his impressive performance as the mayor of Pietermaritzburg’s Umgeni local municipality.
He said the DA was the only party that understood what it takes to fix the province’s problems. “Because we are already doing it. We do it in Umgeni municipality under mayor Chris Pappas. They are already doing it.”
He continued: “And in this election, we’re offering you the same man who turned around Umgeni, Chris Pappas, to turn around KwaZulu-Natal as the premier of this province.
“Pappas did it in Umgeni, and Pappas is now going to do it in the rest of the KwaZulu-Natal province. He’s coming now.”
Steenhuisen said the DA promised to bring residents in the province a better life, a more enriching life, jobs – and lots of them – as well as services into every home, making sure that the people advance.
“Now there are some people who say that Pappas can’t be the premier and that we won’t make it. What do we say to that? I think we say no to that. I think we can have Chris Pappas as the premier of the province because they said the same thing about Umgeni.”
He added: “They said he would never be the mayor, but he’s the mayor today, and I’m telling you now. He’s going to be the premier, and I’m saying it here today; when we prove our critics wrong, that’s what we will see.”
Steenhuisen called on “every single voter in KwaZulu-Natal to rescue and liberate this -province from corruption, to liberate it from unemployment, to liberate it from poverty, and to liberate it from this ANC government that has done nothing for the people of KwaZulu-Natal”.
“So, every one of us can now be a part of history. And as we enter the final stage of the campaign, we must now go out and share the good news that help is on the way. Pappas is on the way, the DA is on the way, and change is on the way. We will rescue this province, and
united behind the DA, we can win it.
“Are you with me? Are you with me? Are you ready for change? Are you ready to rescue this province? Are you ready for Pappas as premier? Well, Democrats, let’s go out there and make it happen on the 29th of May.”
