Popular podcaster MacGyver “MacG” Mukwevo has sparked questions on social media after he launched a last-minute campaign to win a seat in parliament ahead of the 2024 general and local elections. .
South Africans will vote on May 29, 2024. You can vote for a political party, but you also have the option to vote for an individual.
MACG's challenge to the parliamentary election ahead of the election
More than a week ago, McG announced on his YouTube show that he was planning to spend time in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, where he planned to gather 1,000 signatures to qualify him to run as an independent candidate. He told his viewers, known as “chillers,” to help make this happen.
“Dear Chillers, please join us outside Wing Republic in Braamfontein today at 4pm and rally behind our cause to collect 1000 signatures for Parliament! Change together! Let’s wake up. #ChillersUnite,” he said.
According to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), independent candidates must collect 1,000 signatures to take part in the election. The IEC has set a March 8 deadline for the submission of these signatures.
McG (who, by his own admission, votes but has no interest in politics) has more than 1 million subscribers on YouTube.
Congressman Eugene Khoza
The podcaster got the required number of signatures on time, but told his audience: podcast and chill On Monday, March 11, he announced that he would not run for Congress. The former 947 presenter explained that he was campaigning for comedian Eugene Khoza.
“We did Brahm on Wednesday and collected about 460 signatures in two hours. Then we went to Dudu in Pretoria [the podcast’s content priducer] I got some signatures while I was waiting and ended up being there the whole time and by Thursday we had 1,000 signatures,'' McG said of his co-host, who was taking a break due to illness after a trip to Miami, US. I explained this to Sol Fenduka. .
The idea of having a seat in Parliament was proposed by Metro FM producer JJ Seshin. On the program, it was revealed that Mr. Khoza was scheduled to be sent to Congress. He also emphasized that McG has no intention of starting a political party.
“We checked all the IEC boxes, so the ball is in their court,” Cecin said.
“We support sending Eugene to parliament as an independent candidate. He is going to go there and represent our interests, so we need to give him a mandate.
“Chillers' ticket gives him a mandate and says, if Eugene goes to Congress right after we vote for you, we want you to work on the next issue, A, B, C.”
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