Opposition party the Democratic Alliance (DA) launched its Activist App in Johannesburg on Monday, to empower DA members and activists to be more involved and to urge them to volunteer to help advance the party’s cause ahead of the 2016 local government elections.

Speaking at the launch, DA Leader Mmusi Maimane said this year’s election was set to be the closest and most hard-fought election since the dawn of democracy in 1994.

Maimane was accompanied by DA Gauteng leader John Moody and the party’s national spokesperson Refiloe Ntsekhe.

“The governing party is on the back foot – marred in controversy – but we are under no illusion as to how much of a rigorous battle it will be [to overtake them]. The application (app) revolutionises the way door-to-door campaigning, house meetings and other aspects of canvassing are conducted. It acts as a one-stop-shop en route to becoming a vote-winning champion for the DA. This is a space where we can compete with political parties all over the world,” said Maimane.

He added that the DA was seeking new and innovative ways to ensure that the party was effective and efficient in mobilising South Africans to become agents of change.

By using the app one could learn about the party, become a “DA champion on social media”, check voter registration statuses of family, sign up to receive the DA’s newsletters and recruit new activists.

Maimane emphasised that all processes and systems were in place to ensure successful campaigning ahead of the highly contested elections.

He said the African National Congress (ANC) knew change was afoot, hence the often hostile reception from ANC officials and members in Tshwane, who made it difficult for DA members that embarked on door-to door campaigns.

Moody said the DA was working towards winning not just for the sake of winning but so that they could change the living conditions of people living in areas such as Zandspruit, where schools and clinics were located next to dumping sites. 

“We are working towards winning so we can have mayors in Nelson Mandela Bay, Tshwane and Johannesburg who are responsive to the needs of the people throughout the entire term, not just ahead of the elections,” added Moody. 

Maimane concluded that his party would not rest until all South Africans heard the DA’s message of change and built the kind of South Africa that was dreamt of when South Africans cast their vote in the historic 1994 elections.  

The DA’s app can be accessed at: https://my.da.org.za