ANC comes up with Gandhi ad to garner votes of Indians

M Subramoney

Durban, Apr 17 (PTI) In a bid to woo people of
Indian-origin ahead of the parliamentary elections, South
Africa's ruling ANC has come out with a radio advertisement
projecting itself as the follower of Mahatma Gandhi's ideals.

With only five days left for the elections scheduled on
April 22, the ANC, in the advertisement, has asked the voters
to "vote for the vision of Mahatma Gandhi".

The advertisement, broadcast on the national broadcaster
SABC's Lotus FM, talks about Gandhi's struggles in South
Africa and that he would have associated himself with the ANC
if he was alive Friday.

The radio advertisement follows bill boards with pictures
of Gandhi that the ANC have put up mainly in
Indian-residential areas in Durban and other towns.

Mahatma Gandhi's posters have been put alongside the
pictures of the late Monty Naicker, who was the president of
Natal Indian Congress(NIC) in the 1960s. The NIC was
established by Gandhi in the 1890s when he was here to promote
the cause of Indian workers.

The posters and radio advertisement have been received
with mixed feelings by Indian-origin people. One of the voters
in the township of Phoenix in Durban, Stanley Munsamy, said
that he had no problems with the posters and radio
advertisement.

"I believe people need to be reminded of the leaders who
have made an impact in our lives," said Munsamy. "Both Mahatma
Gandhi and Monty Naicker had the same vision as the ANC. So I
see no problem," he said.

One of the those not too enthusiastic about the posters
and radio advertisement, Nanda Govender, of the township Sea
Tides, north of Durban, said that he believed Gandhi and
Naicker's names were being used in "vain".

"If those using Gandhi and Naicker's names follow the
vision of the two leaders then I think there will be no
problem. But I don't believe the values, morals and
principles of the two great leaders are being followed
today," he said. PTI