The ANC has announced that it will break with its tradition of holding a victory party after the elections.
|||Pretoria - The party that likes to party has developed a case of the post-election blues.
There will be no “victory party”, as has been the tradition in the ANC in past elections, it has announced.
But it denies this is because there is no “victory” to celebrate, saying it is rather because it has been too busy campaigning to think about organising a post-elections bash.
Though this has never stopped it before, the ANC says in response to a debate that has been raging internally over whether or not to celebrate, in the absence of anything to celebrate, its “leadership and membership have been immersed in campaigning in the lead-up to elections”.
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“As a result, the holding of a post-election function has not been prioritised,” says spokesman Zizi Kodwa.
He says although the party has traditionally held a function after elections to thank volunteers, members and staff for their efforts, no concrete plans were made this time around.
The possibility was discussed and “tentative arrangements” made, says Kodwa, but no firm decisions were taken.
With all but a few wards in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni counted, the ANC has slumped to below 55 percent overall and has lost Tswhane and Nelson Mandela Bay to the DA.
Johannesburg remains in the balance, with the ANC on 42.59 percent and the DA on 40.70 percent, with the EFF in third place on 10.76 percent but holding the key to who governs in the city.
Election Bureau