Zuma win sparks DA membership drive
2012-12-19 09:06
Carien du Plessis, City Press
Bloemfontein - Minutes after President Jacob Zuma’s re-election into the party’s top spot was announced, the DA seized the moment by running a Twitter-driven membership drive.
The DA’s parliamentary leader, Lindiwe Mazibuko, retweeted several messages of people pledging their support for the party or asking where they could join the party.
One of the invites was of the DA caucus in Mangaung saying: “We invite all SA’ns who are disappointed, to join the DA in working for, and delivering, meaningful social change and job creation in SA”.
Lindi Mashinini (@LindiweEM) tweeted: “@Lindimazibuko You have my vote! I am not voting for Zuma as my President in 2014! For the 1st time in my life I am ashamed of the ANC!”
Kholofelo Maepa tweeted: “tjo, @lindimazibuko’s timeline is full of people joining #DA from #ANC, this second term is surely chasing people away form ANC.”
'Zuma wins, DA celebrates'
The DA City Bowl Branch tweeted: “Wow, our inbox is overflowing with people keen to join the DA. Welcome everyone!”
Sisanda Mbulana (@SMbulana) tweeted: “I’m officially joining the DA. Can’t stand Jacob Zuma and his people.”
A lot of tweets inquired about branches where they could get membership forms to join, and party councillors and MPs chirped in to give advice and direction.
Acclaimed writer Zakes Mda also picked up the trend, tweeting: “As I said before Mangaung: Zuma wins, DA celebrates.”
DA leader Helen Zille sent out an invite soon after the announcement about Zuma’s re-election was made to “all South Africans who are disappointed by the ANC’s decision today [to re-elect Zuma] to join his movement – this new majority that is working for, and delivering, meaningful social change and job creation in South Africa”.
Meanwhile, the ANC in a statement on Tuesday night said Zille’s comments on the ANC’s leadership election were the result of “political jealousy inspired by malicious desperation to have the same support enjoyed by the ANC in this country”.
Zille had said the election results would hasten the “disintegration” of the ruling party.
