Ramaphosa unfazed by polls predicting ANC defeat

ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa says he is unfazed by recent research surveys that suggest the governing party could lose power, and that his popularity is declining ahead of the 2024 elections.

Ramaphosa was speaking to reporters after addressing an event marking the conclusion of the ANC’s 2019 manifesto review. The president revealed that he was unbothered by reports suggesting that his predecessor, former president Jacob Zuma, was set to make an announcement about his political future on Saturday.

Ramaphosa’s ANC faces what observers believe will be its most difficult poll since it took over power in 1994.

But Ramaphosa suggested he does not believe some of the polls, telling reporters that research results depended on who was conducting the survey. He said polling companies have sometimes been wrong.

“There is a new industry that has emerged in our country ... And it it’s always ‘the ANC is going down, the ANC is going to be less than 30%'. It’s almost reported with glee that ‘we got them now’.

“Everybody is now forming a poll group ... polls have sometimes been completely off the mark. And I go on one poll, a poll of feeling the pulse of the people. That is the poll that I go with. When I go into a township, I tell my comrades that I want to go to places where people may not even want to see me. I’ll go there and engage with them.

“That for me is engaging with our people and feeling the pulse. They even have an opportunity to articulate their views, their anger. The more they are angry the more I want to engage them.”

Several research companies have published reports that suggest the ANC may dip below 50% of the votes nationally in the upcoming elections. Another survey by the Social Research Foundation (SRF) found that former president Thabo Mbeki was more popular that Ramaphosa. More than 57% of those who participated in the survey found Mbeki favourable to Ramaphosa at 44.4%. 

“These things happen and it depends on who is looking at it,” he said of the SRF survey.

Turning to Zuma’s much-hyped announcement, Ramaphosa said it would not be the first time his predecessor makes announcements.

“He has over time been making a number of announcements. Tomorrow he will make another announcement. I mean, we will note that. What else can I do? There’s nothing else to do but to note.”

Ramaphosa responded to utterances reportedly made by Mbeki, who is said to have told Eye Witness News he wasn’t prepared to campaign for the ANC in the elections.

“In the end we’re making a big issue of this. Much larger that what it actually is. We would like everyone to campaign — but if you can’t campaign, that’s it. The work goes on,” Ramaphosa said.