ANC campaigns to keep Gauteng

Johannesburg - With less than a month to go until the general elections, ANC bigwigs spent the weekend campaigning in Gauteng.

Members of the African National Congress's top six leadership were joined by members of the party's national executive committee.

On Sunday, secretary general Gwede Mantashe went on door-to-door visits in Ivory Park, east of Johannesburg.

On Saturday he addressed hundreds of ANC supporters in Eldorado Park, where he lashed out at the Democratic Alliance. He accused the opposition of reversing economic growth in the Western Cape, where it governs.

The DA has targeted Gauteng, saying it plans on winning control of the province at the 7 May elections.

Last month, the ANC reportedly asked volunteers to intensify their mobilisation campaign in townships to avoid getting less than 50% of the vote in the election. This followed its own internal polls, which showed it could obtain at most 45% of electoral support in Gauteng.

On Monday, Mantashe was expected to continue campaigning, this time on a train with morning commuters from Oakmore to Park Station in Johannesburg.

Mantashe's deputy, Jessie Duarte, will also ride the early morning train with commuters from Vereeniging to Orange Farm. She spent Sunday in Evaton, south of Johannesburg.

ANC treasurer general Zweli Mkhize spent Sunday in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria. He was expected to go on a door-to-door campaign in the morning and then address a rally at Mandela Stadium.

ANC members defect

The SABC on Sunday reported that 66 ANC members in Hammanskraal had defected to the National Freedom Party.

The National Freedom Party was also in the area on Sunday, campaigning.

"We were there to do a door-to-door campaign," the party's Gauteng chairperson Bheki Gumbitold the public broadcaster.

"We end up our rally in Mandela [Stadium] where we welcomed 66 members led by women's league members from the ANC."

ANC national chairperson Baleka Mbete was meeting farmworkers in Magaliesburg on Sunday. She was then expected to go on door-to-door visits in Mohlakeng, ending with a rally.

Mkhize and Mbete were expected to campaign on trains on Monday morning. Mkhize would travel from Springs to Park Station and Mbete from Naledi to Doornfontein.

- SAPA