Johannesburg - "Anyone that tells me that the ANC will still be in power in 2019 - I don't know what they are smoking."
This was the message DA mayoral candidate Herman Mashaba had for a small turnout of about 30 people during his briefing in the Johannesburg CBD on Tuesday.
He said within one year of him becoming mayor of Johannesburg, people would be able to walk the streets of the Johannesburg CBD and feel safe.
"People are going to vote for the DA," he said.
Mashaba said the business community was essential for the DA and also the country. "We need businesses that make money because they employ people on a consistent basis."
He said he knew people were frustrated with what was regarded as white monopoly capital.
"The DA, under my administration, will regard you as one of most important stakeholders."
Mashaba said he did not yet have solutions, because he "needs to understand the problems" of the people first. He asked that they share their frustrations with the DA in the next few months, so that the party could deliver once they have taken over.
"Businesses will be a key priority and my biggest friend. Property can play a big role. We've focused on all areas except for Johannesburg, and that is mostly because the government doesn't provide the support."
He warned that corruption was the number one enemy of the city, claiming government was looking after prisoners better than law-abiding citizens.
"One of biggest problems today is that the criminal justice system is accountable to the politicians. It has to prosecute, but they have to consult each time."
He added that they wanted South Africans and South African banks to invest in the city.
"For people to say that the DA is mostly white is wrong. This is not 1994 anymore and we are the only diverse party in the country."