Mkhize misses the point
EASTERN Cape residents who have taken to the streets complaining of poor service delivery do not necessarily want services delivered – what they want is a commitment from the government that they will get the services.
At least this is what Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Zweli Mkhize believes.
However, his statement on Sunday evening was refuted by residents, who said the minister had downplayed their grievances.
Mkhize said he was sent to Keiskammahoek by President Cyril Ramaphosa. This was his second visit to the area.
“What I gave as an instruction the last time I came here was that the community, together with the three layers of government, must create a joint committee that’s going to look into the issues that form the basis of the protest. Today we are presenting the report,” Mkhize said.
“The issues raised by people don’t necessarily mean we must have money as government now.
“The people want to see practical steps and honesty about what we have got and what we don’t have.”
Mkhize said his team was taking a look at the whole country to see how they could enhance service delivery.
“We are looking at municipalities and what kind of support we can give.
“When you have communities on a protest [it] doesn’t necessarily mean we must go and put all the government money there.
“It’s just a matter of saying there must be open communication so that the communities know exactly what has happened. In some instances it is an explanation that is more important than money,” Mkhize said.
He said the committee was led by Cogta MEC Fikile Xasa, roads and transport MEC Weziwe Tikana, the premier’s office and his department.
Tikana and Xasa were present at the meeting in the Keiskammahoek community hall. Mkhize said the community was part of the solutions to the problems in the area.
The Daily Dispatch reported in April that a litany of demands by Keiskammahoek residents included provision of scholar transport, building a fire station and a hospital, and rectifying RDP houses in Masincedane and Sophumelela.
Xasa presented a report as a response to the issues raised by the community.
“Service delivery in Keiskammahoek is in an abysmal state. The provincial roads and internal road infrastructure of the municipality is so dilapidated that no investor would have the confidence to invest in Keiskammahoek,” Xasa said.
Kwezi Femele, speaking on behalf of the young people of Keiskammahoek, said Mkhize had trivialised the issues of young people.
She said even in the construction of Steve Vukile Tshwete High School local people did not benefit.
“When they talk about job creation they talk about hard labour. Never have young people won contracts but they just give their labour. We are not happy about it,” she said.
The community leadership that met with Mkhize had no youth representation, she added. Among the issues raised by the youth, Femele said, was the start of tarring the road that the community wanted to be from Stutterheim to Keiskammahoek.
Instead, she said, they wanted the road from the R63 going past Fort Cox Agricultural College to be prioritised. —