Spend R6m on people, not statue of Zuma

RESPONDING to the article published in Sowetan on Monday February 27, the erection of a 6m statue of President Jacob Zuma in Groot Marico has not raised the concerns of only Lebuile residents but those of many other South Africans.

The cost of building the statue is way too much while there are still lots of service delivery issues our government needs to focus on.

North West’s roads are not up to standard because of potholes. The township of Lebuile itself cries out for development.

The unemployment rate is high, infrastructure is in poor condition and there is a lack of basic services. To spend R6-million on a statue is not fair to the people who voted for the ANC. This shows that the money is there but the government is not willing to spend it on the people.

To say the statue displays the oral and written history of the liberators who passed through, and some of those who got arrested in and around the Groot Marico area as they attempted to get to Botswana is just hiding behind a finger.

Why can’t the government take the money and build schools or help improve the water supply?

Although local councillor Solomon Themba said the project will “create permanent jobs” for the unemployed youth, I don’t see how it will be able to create those permanent jobs.

And, after all, Zuma doesn’t deserve that statue, there’s nothing good to tell about him. Suzan Shabangu, Pretoria