Time to uplift people of Makhanda

The story of Makhanda is a sad one to tell, amid the wholesome predicament of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It has been said that the “sheep without a shepherd” are usually scattered and devoured by wolves that are always prowling about for something vulnerable to grab.

The City of Saints, that had recently celebrated the new name change to Makhanda, a name given to the city that was designated appropriately to represent the majority of the people, is now in dire straits.

In Xhosa culture it is said that you cannot kick a man when he is down, such is the demise of the local municipality of Makhanda.

But not all is lost as there is always something new on the horizon, maybe the municipality also deserves a new name, like “Princess Zila Lobengula Local Municipality”.

The UPM (The Unemployed Peoples Movement) has successfully regained the strength by ousting the council of Makhanda.

The city is now in limbo, left open for “vultures” who are circling the big game and trying to find “strategies” that could best put the municipality back on track.

The Makhanda council has been accused on various counts including those of misconduct and negligence towards its citizens, and failing to provide basic service delivery and improving the quality of the old and dilapidated infrastructure and water system that is failing the people of the east side of Makhanda.

And those who are familiar with the townships call the place eRini, to the majority of the city folk it is more popular for “field work”, just another place to conduct “experiments” whenever they feel like, without actually making much difference in the lives of the people.

It is astonishing when you hear shouts of victory as if there was another battle, that most of us were not aware of, after judge Igna Stretch refused premier Oscar Mabuyane and the municipality leave to appeal against her ruling. The city of Makhanda’s fate is now left in the hands of concerned citizens and the premier to decide which direction the municipality takes in the next few months coming to the elections.

The politicians are probably dismayed at the outcome of the case, while the municipality is left dysfunctional without proper collective administration.

This ruling by the high court of Makhanda has subsequently had an effect on other municipalities which have previously been ruled as “inadequate” to deliver on their mandates.

This phenomenon raises another fact about corruption in general during the apartheid era and the new “democratic” sovereign republic of South Africa, which we sometimes call the “rainbow” nation whenever it suits us.

I think when you talk about corruption in its basic form, some of the people might notice that there has been a lot of officials both in the private and public sectors who have benefited through corrupt conduct.

When it comes to corruption, the South African government past and present, black and white, have been ripping off this country of its natural resources and land.

And these cases have never been investigated or brought forth to justice.

It seems like only a few among the many are made scapegoats in this corrupt country of ours.

Many businesses in SA operate under the guise of being pro-black and behind the curtains it is another group of people pulling the strings.

There are big conglomerates and foreign governments who continue to loot the resources of this land of ours, all conducted in the name of foreign “investment”.

This country is losing billions of rand each year and feeding the rich nations like the US and China.

The South African government needs to change its economic policy, and open the doors for black enterprise to flourish, with less bureaucracy and red tape.

It is high time that the community of Mzansi be given the chance to have their own banking systems and policies that are aimed at developing the majority of the youth and the rest of the citizens that were previously deprived of such resources and opportunities.

The time has now come to give back to the community, and whoever is running Makhanda must compassionately look to the east side and see to the development and upliftment of our people.

And, meanwhile, we shall continue promotingthe #Peace&Unity Campaign and the #Staysafe@home_JesusHeals Campaign.

Sizwe Mda, King Lobengula Foundation, Makhanda