Independent candidate Lehlohonolo Ramoba has to get at least 90 000 votes to land in the National Assembly.
have vowed to slug it out and win voters over on 29 May, saying they are unaffected by political parties’ massive election machinery.Pretoria resident Tshepo Magano says depending on the voter turnout, he has to get at least 16 000 votes to secure a seat in the provincial legislature.“The IEC has not made these elections a level ground for independents. We are entering a terrain to compete with people who have massive financial backing compared to us.
“We are going against parties with historically huge support, but that won’t stop us from wooing voters and exercising our democratic right,” he said. Magano says he is an activist in western Pretoria, and advocates for self-sustenance in communities to curtail poverty and unemployment.Without funding to pay for campaign materials such as placards, Magano says he relies on social media platforms to reach out for support.“Unfortunately, I will get just one seat in Parliament even if I get a million votes, that is how skewed these elections are towards independents.
“Depending on how many people come out to vote, I will need at least 90 000 to go to Parliament. I am not intimidated by the party politicians,” he said.“I stand for human rights, especially employees’ rights. I believe a lot can be leveraged to grow the economy. “I am also championing transformation in the mining sector, including beneficiation for nearby communities, especially young people.”Gauteng has 40 parties contesting elections, the highest compared to the eight other provinces, while Limpopo has the most number of independents totaling three.To get on the ballot, Ramoba and Magano collected verifiable signatures and paid a R16 000 required fee to the IEC.
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