Pretoria News

Battle for votes intensifies with ‘poster wars’ on Tshwane’s streets

JAMES MAHLOKWANE james.mahlokwane@inl.co.za

WITH election fever heating up, the battle for the attention of voters is gaining momentum on the streets of Tshwane and beyond.

South Africans head to the polls in the local government elections on November 1.

Election debutant, Actionsa, seems to be ahead of the pack in terms of the posters campaign, with party posters appearing on almost all major roads and residential streets across the capital.

The party, led by former Johannesburg DA mayor Herman Mashaba, has flooded numerous street poles with its green posters. The party is asking people, in various SA languages, if they are tired of politics and wanted service delivery.

However, the EFF has been competing aggressively for votes in townships.

Its red posters, encouraging residents to vote for the “red berets” are bright and eye-catching, including those announcing the launch of its manifesto on September 26 at Gandhi Square, Joburg.

Other political parties already on an intense outdoor campaign are the usual top contenders DA and ANC.

Graphic designer Rodney Matsepe said a good campaign poster must be simple and neat – but most importantly, make people think and have a call to action. There were just too many outdoor adverts on the city streets; that’s why political parties at times contravened outdoor advertising by-laws, just to be seen, he said.“the EFF’S posters with its leader Julius Malema’s face and captioned ‘Sun of the soil’ – that alone is enough to make one think. The poster is saying Malema is one of you.”

“Another very important element is the type of image used and the type of colour and gloss. With elections, cost saving may not be wise.

“The graphics have to be rich and the colours have to be vivid because you are competing for people’s attention.”

City of Tshwane chief of staff, Jordan Griffin said during election season, the metro suspended aspects of its outdoor advertising by-laws to facilitate political parties being able to display posters.

“They do not pay any fees to put up posters as long as they are a registered political party competing in the elections.”

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2021-09-18T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-09-18T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://pretorianews.pressreader.com/article/281509344320434

African News Agency