Discussion | How important are political party manifestos?

JOHANNESBURG - The date of elections will be announced by the 23rd of this month. 

Political parties are already in in campaign mode, fighting for supporters to back them at the polls. 

Yesterday, the Economic Freedom Fighters launched its elections manifesto at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

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Next week the African National Congress will  follow suit at the same venue, and the  Inkatha Freedom Party will do the same in March. 

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So let's delve a little deeper into the importance of election manifestos. And ask how the ruling ANC has fared in keeping to its promises in previous manifestos. 

To do that the eNCA spoke to political analyst Dr Oscar van  Heerden, who's a senior research fellow for African Diplomacy and Leadership at the University of Johannesburg.