‘Better life for all’ eludes Pofadder
More than 1 000 people are part of the expanded public works programme — its orange overalls are a common piece of clothing. This means one in six people of working age relies on the R640 a month locals say they get from the programme. Its work gangs spread across Pofadder, sweeping the dirt yards of public buildings and pavements. The rest of the employed work on the surrounding sheep farms or in the town’s few shops.
People put the high unemployment rate — and the reliance on public works for jobs — at the door of the ANC. But this does not translate into damage on election day. The party consistently gets just below two-thirds of the vote in local and national elections.
Brandon (he doesn’t give his surname) has his back to the fire outside his wooden shed, a hand covers the hole in his pants. The most substantial thing about his home is the thick lock and chain keeping it secure.
A biting wind blows across Pofadder, channelled by the mountain ranges to its north, which hide the Orange River, the Namibian border and a new concentrated solar plant. Brandon flexes his shoulders for a photo, but still can’t stop shivering.
“We support the party [ANC] because that is how you get a job.”
His sister picks up a rock and drops it from head-height on to a wooden packing crate to break up wood for the fire. Similar sheds dot the area, each with an outside fire and people huddled around it. Poorly insulated and badly built, even the brick homes in the north of Pofadder are too cold to stay inside.
A white VW Golf drives past Brandon’s gate, the ANC’s “a better life for all” posters stuck to its side. The two occupants nod their heads. With a population of just