Analyst says voting patterns unpredictable
A political analyst says people must not read too much into the results of polls ahead of elections.
Sanusha Naidu says a lot comes into play on the actual day of voting and that this can even reflect the opposite of what polls have previously suggested.
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Naidu says many factors can change people's minds or feelings towards a party as we get closer to the elections.
A recent poll by the SA Institute of Race Relations suggested the ANC's popularity has dropped, while the EFF and DA are on the rise.
Naidu says this is only a prediction and a lot can change for all parties involved.
“You have got to be careful in assuming that voting patterns are static, that voting behaviour will remain the same. Anything can trigger different voting patterns. The electorate can change its voting pattern on the day of elections as well. So we can never be completely sure with these polls, it all depends on what happens on the day of elections,” she says.