EC ANC leaders head to WC to help stir up support ahead of polls

CAPE TOWN - More Eastern Cape African National Congress (ANC) leaders are heading to the Western Cape as part of an agreement to help the party garner votes in the only Democratic Alliance (DA)-run province.

Eastern Cape provincial secretary, Lulama Ngcukayitobi, said this was part of the party’s strategy by encouraging the party's Western Cape-based supporters who hail from the Eastern Cape to get out and vote.

Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane will be the latest leader to head to the Western Cape this weekend to campaign.

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The ANC lost power to the DA in the Western Cape 15 years ago and has never managed to regain lost ground.

But through what they call "bilateral cooperation" between the two provinces, the ANC hopes to play a hand in unseating the DA.

Ngcukayitobi, who was in the province recently, said the two provinces had a lot in common, like traditions and heritage.

"Part of that particular bilateral cooperation between the two provinces, we had an agreement that we must go with traditional leaders to come and address some of the people from our traditional households."

He said that a part of the campaign was to get those from the Eastern Cape who work in the province out and voting for the ANC.

"There are things that are still hanging from our visit there because we were just there to wake up those people that are coming from our own areas that do not vote."

Ngukayitobi said the campaign would head to areas like Knysna and Plettenberg Bay to address more people from the Eastern Cape.