RISE Mzansi confident it will be among top five parties in 2024 elections

By: Thabi Madiba

Following results from his party’s modelling, RISE Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi believes that the new kid on the block party will be one of the top five political parties in the 2024 national elections. Rise Mzansi, whose application with the Electoral Commission of South Africa to contest as a political party was recently approved, is ready to contest the elections in all nine provinces. In an exclusive interview with Polity Zibi said his party had an organisational model that targets a certain number of voters and not percentages. He said by targeting certain numbers, one could know how many organisers, volunteers and supporters were needed. “…And therefore, you have a different conversation with voters about voting on a continuous basis not just at election time. I think if you can look at our social media pages you might see we have lots of young people, they number in the thousands and older people as well…,” he said. Zibi explained that RISE Mzansi had conversations with people about why they should vote for RISE Mzansi, as opposed to recruiting members. He noted that if elected President of the country during next year’s elections, he would first focus on fixing government, as he believed that the government machinery had been destroyed. “And I think the first task in the first six months is to have a smaller, more efficient Cabinet. One of the things we have discussed is making departments work in a certain way. The department of foreign affairs and the department of trade and industry don't need to be different ministries, they can be one,” he proposed. Zibi promised to hire the “right people in the right jobs”, and said he would put the most vulnerable municipalities under administration. →