Connie September, the ANC’s chairwoman of the joint standing committee on intelligence (JSCI), closed her state security budget debate contribution last week with: “Local government is in your hands. Vote ANC!” A few days earlier home affairs committee chairman and ANC MP Lemias Mashile urged people “to vote ANC”. A good few ANC backbenchers did the same in their contributions to the various budget debates, which unfolded in various extended public committees, often at the same time, over the past two weeks or so.

Tuesday was no different. Co-operative Governance Minister Des van Rooyen reminded all that it was still possible to register as a voter at Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) offices. And while the 3 August local government elections had not yet been officially proclaimed – on Monday the Constitutional Court hears arguments on the need for addresses on the voters’ roll – the election ethics charter has been signed.

“Let’s not be a signatory to the charter and then call for the removal of the government through the barrel of the gun if the election results are not to your liking,” said Van Rooyen, in reference to Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema’s comments in an Al Jazeera interview.

Co-operative governance committee chairman Richard Mdakane, also president of the South African National Civics Organisation (Sanco), raised the flag for the ANC having delivered, and having established accountable municipal governance despite tough economic times and the drought.

“Despite these challenges the majority of our people continue to vote for the ANC to lead this country… They will continue to do so on the 3 August 2016 because we have a track record of service delivery.”

The EFF would have none of it, nor the DA, as both parties touted their local government manifestos. EFF MP Abinaar Mathloko said the ANC had been unable to deliver services or address apartheid spatial and structural inequalities. Residents of Cape Town and Sandton were receiving services – “Now they are fighting for bicycle lanes” – while residents of Diepkloof, Shoshanguve and Mamelodi were still waiting.

“The EFF is the only political party that has a plan,” he said, echoing Saturday’s municipal election manifesto launch speeches. “We are not in the business of making promises… We are making commitments. The EFF is our last hope… for fresh produce markets, for local economic development.”

DA MP Kevin Mileham tackled Van Rooyen’s claim that Nelson Mandela Bay was “on the road to good health” – the party has its sights set on the metro where the ANC launched its municipal poll manifesto – saying a recent parliamentary reply from the minister showed, among other things, that the metro had the most bucket toilets in the country.

And then he touted the DA governance record which in various governance research reports saw its municipalities emerge at the top of various lists. The “tidal wave of blue” was ready to emerge on local government election date, said Mileham: “Real change is coming.”

It was IFP MP Mkhuleko Hlengwa who, with understated pointedness, made it clear that the IFP is in charge of Nkandla municipality:

“Did I mention Nkandla? I think I did.”

He went on to slate the ANC track record at local government not as a good story to tell, but as “an island of success in the sea of poverty and corruption”. And it was he who bluntly raised tension between the ANC and the EFF and the threat this may pose to the upcoming municipal elections. “Sit down and discuss your issues! Sit down and talk and end these problems!” said Hlengwa.

Correctional services highlighted, among other things, new cellphone detection technology to stop mobile phones in prisons, or correctional centres, as they are now officially known. But DA MP James Selfe underscored how despite various Special Investigating Unit investigations recommending criminal and disciplinary charges, there had been no concrete action. “It starts when there’s a president that ducks and dives…” Selfe said. “They are allowed to get away with it because of the appalling example that President Zuma sets and by the gutless way in which the ANC defends it.”

In comparison, the tourism budget vote was rather polite. Yes, 2015 had been a tough year due to global economic troubles, and the newly implemented visa regimen “had a further negative impact”, said Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom. And while the DA gleefully took credit for having some of its ideas incorporated into the updated regimen, there was little politicking. There appeared to be agreement that indeed tourism was creating jobs and there was real spin-off for the 80 small and medium businesses exposed to international opportunities at 10 global trade shows.

Not so the human settlements budget vote debate, which found Deputy Human Settlements Minister Zoe Kota proclaiming “Siyathatha (we will take) Nelson Mandela Bay, siyathatha.” A similar election rallying cry came earlier from human settlement committee chairwoman Nocawe Mafu, who said the ANC’s mandate would be renewed: “Watch and see and learn”.

But first Mafu spoke of “hostile forces that aim to destroy the ANC”, before going on to say “there are powerful forces aligned to the DA to destabilise” South Africa and Brics, the association of Bazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. “Dogs can be very scary, particularly bulldogs or dogs with rabies. But it remains a dog, it has a handler…” said Mafu, with no points of order raised.

Amid a flurry of points of order at other stages of the human settlements budget vote debate, it was the EFF which again pointed to a sleeping ANC MP. “Retirement is allowed,” said EFF MP Natasha Louw.

To date only the Office of the Chief Justice seems to have found universal support from parliamentarians. Otherwise the ANC supports all budget votes without exception, the EFF opposing all others, while the DA is not coming out in support of those budget votes it doesn’t reject outright.

But for everyone, it’s a free platform to electioneer. DM

Photo: International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane delivers her budget vote speech at the Old Assembly Hall in Parliament, Cape Town, 3 May 2016. (Photo: Dirco)