With May polls looming, ANC top brass told to focus campaign on strongholds

JOHANNESBURG - With the African National Congress (ANC) in a race against time in what is said to be the former liberation movement's most difficult elections yet, its head of elections, Mdumiseni Ntuli, has recommended that it must focus on its base.

In a leaked recording of a national executive committee (NEC) meeting, which Eyewitness News has heard, Ntuli can be heard giving the organisation the lay of the land ahead of the May general polls.

He said that the ANC could no longer afford to waste time wooing people who they know would not vote for the organisation.

The ANC has an ambitious target of getting at least 57% of the voters' share next month.

It believes the tried and tested door-to-door campaigns and sectorial engagements are enough to regain lost support.

The party's Ntuli told the NEC that it must go back to its strongholds and bring out those who previously refused to cast their votes.

"We don't want to waste time now and go to areas where we know these people are not going to vote for us, and lose an opportunity to persuade our base, which may be demotivated, demoralised and not ready to go out and vote on election day."

In the little time left, the ANC is still hoping to make itself attractive to new voters.

Meanwhile, it has also established an elections management team, including a call centre, which will meet daily to oversee its battle plan.