'Getting votes is not like getting state tenders or selling Black Like Me' - Mbuyiseni Ndlozi
Image: Brian Witbooi/The Herald
EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi has conveyed a simple message to those seeking to venture into politics and win over South Africans; it's not easy.
“Getting votes is not like getting state tenders or selling Black Like Me hair products. Ask Hlaudi! Even appearing on TV every day doesn't automatically give you votes, ask [Themba] Godi. Even the ANC appreciates that its century-old brand no longer gives them an automatic advantage,” Ndlozi tweeted on Tuesday.
His tweet comes after Herman Mashaba, founder of newly formed political party Action SA, went on a door-to-door drive and had engagements with business owners and communities in Cape Town on Wednesday regarding their concerns about service delivery.
Mashaba is also the founder of the Black Like Me hair brand which had Ndlozi's followers asking whether the tweet was a sub at him.
Others suggested he may be referring to Duduzane Zuma, son of former president Jacob Zuma, who recently announced that he will be entering the political arena.
On Monday, Zuma told 702 that he believes many South Africans would vote for him in the next general elections in 2024, despite his previous business ties with the Gupta family.
“I think there are a lot [of people] that do trust me. I don't live by media perception and I don't live by what happens in the social media sphere, even though it's a powerful tool for business and marketing.
“To say that there is a [Zondo] commission going on and that I have a negative persona, that goes without saying ... but I am here now and that's going to change. There are going to be a lot of interactions, you'll get to know me and enjoy me,” he said.
Mashaba said South Africans suffer because the current government doesn't know how to “turn SA around”. He also called on transport minister Fikile Mbalula to act decisively on cable theft as it leaves many poor South Africans without transportation.