85% of votes in Limpopo will go to ANC – premier

The ANC will garner 85% of votes cast in Limpopo in the upcoming national general elections and see the province retain its position as the traditional home of the ANC, according to Limpopo party chair and premier Chupu Stanley Mathabatha.

Mathabatha was speaking at the ANC Limpopo’s provincial executive committee (PEC) lekgotla held outside Polokwane yesterday.

Through hard work, commitment and unity with its alliance partners, of the Congress of the South African Trade Union (Cosatu), the South African Communist Party and the South African National Civic Organisation, he said the Limpopo ANC would produce 85% of the province’s votes during polls.

SACP provincial secretary Chuene Malebana appealed for unity within the party and its tripartite alliance.

He said the SACP in Limpopo was 100% behind the ANC and that it would support the party during the elections.

The PEC lekgotla reflects on the work of the party that governed the provincial administration for the past year.

It was attended by directors, municipal mayors and managers, politicians and leaders of party structures from the province.

The two-day event is also to unveil plans of service delivery programmes to swell the province’s economy for its 5. 8 million population in the year ahead.

“We are currently in the process of renewal. The ANC fully understands the problems currently faced by our people.

“We have programmes in place and the will to redistribute the wealth among our people,” said Mathabatha.

“Since the advent of democracy, there has been a lot of change not only in suburbs, townships and towns, but also in far-flung villages and farm dwellings.

“For example, when you drive from the four corners of this province today, be it from Musina to Groblersdal or Phalaborwa to Lephalale, you hardly see a mud or shack house.

“That is a visible example of the kind of work this ANC government has done,” he said.

But he launched a veiled attack on ANC deployees “snoring” on the job.

“ANC councillors should think on their feet. They should be the first to go to a family who has problems and the last to leave.

“They should be the first to report crime and water leaks in their area. ANC councillors should be visible among the people and in community programmes.”

Cosatu provincial chair Esther Mokwele called on the ANC and the working class to unite against racial discrimination that allegedly continued in the province.

Mokwele said an example was the recent Groblersdal court case of a father and son who allegedly attacked their security guard and set dogs on him.