Mantashe fires first salvo

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe fired the opening salvo of next year’s general election campaign in the Eastern Cape yesterday when he slammed new opposition parties as empty shells which only "mad people’’ would support.

On the campaign trail ahead of Wednesday’s crucial Kouga Municipality by-elections, the outspoken senior ANC leader also said the ruling party was determined to win control of the Western Cape in the next national poll.

Mantashe was speaking at a media briefing in Humansdorp before he drummed up support at the Hankey taxi rank later in the day.

This is a version of an article that appeared in the print edition of the Weekend Post on Saturday, November 23, 2013.