Sowetans tackle Cyril over the lights
President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his role as ANC leader, did not have a smooth start to his local government election campaign yesterday. He was confronted by some angry Soweto residents about the persistent power cuts in SA’s biggest township.
Ramaphosa’s delegation was met with a hostile reception at Nomzamo and Naledi.
But there were sections of the crowd that cheered the president.
While Ramaphosa was inside a home in Nomzamo, Phangelani Msinyana said outside: “Where was the ANC in the past three years when we didn’t have electricity? All of these police that are here. Where were they when members of the community were getting killed? Where were they?
“Today you come here because you want our votes. We are not going to vote for you.”
Another resident, Ntombi Meji, said she was surprised by Ramaphosa’s visit.
“Why did he surprise us? We are not happy at all. We want electricity, we cannot do anything without electricity. Our children study under a candle light and they cannot watch TV.”
Ramaphosa said electricity would be “priority number one” as a result of his visit.
“We told Eskom to solve the electricity issue urgently. Next week they will send a contractor. I want them to get on it next Tuesday. I told them that I want a report that will be sent to the premier and the mayor.”
If he did not receive the report, he said he would return to brief the community. “Do you promise that you will look after the electricity? Please do not lose hope. I will personally supervise that they solve this issue.”
Later, Ramaphosa told journalists he was anticipating a mixed reaction from communities. “I said to them [I’m] being here as though I have come here to mobilise for you to come and vote for us. I told them that I am concerned about the situation of the electricity disconnect and this is what I want us to address.”
He told residents he would also ask police to investigate complaints about gunmen roaming the streets. “We are not only here because it’s the elections. We want to remind you to go and register today and tomorrow.
“If you do not vote, all of the issues you have raised will not be addressed because another party will be in charge and they will not address your concerns.”
DA leader John Steenhuisen took his campaign to Langa in Cape Town. He told television news channel eNCA that his party
I don’t want tension, I want peace, and those who don’t want peace are enemies of the EFF Julius Malema
EFF leader
still had a lot to do in Cape Town. The DA has been the ruling party in the city since 2006.
“There are constraints on municipalities. The promise in this election in Cape Town is that the city works — and that’s by every single measure of national government’s own figures, independent ratings, Africa’s own figures. This is the only financially viable metro in the country, but the second part is, let’s do more.
“There is a lot more to be done here, particularly on infrastructure. There have been a lot of people coming into the Western Cape to access opportunity, to access services and to find a better life for themselves and their families, and that’s put a lot of pressure on infrastructure here. So the city, over the next five years, is going to have to put a lot of money in infrastructure, laying out services so that everybody continues to receive basic services at a higher standard,” he said.
In Durban, EFF leader Julius Malema made his first stop at Phoenix, the Indiandominated township that was the scene of the killing of 36 people in the July unrest.
Malema toned down the anti-Indian rhetoric and instead said that he did not want any tension. “I don’t want tension, I want peace and those who don’t want peace are enemies of the EFF,” he said.
The Phoenix killings happened during riots that rocked the province, leaving more than 300 dead and businesses destroyed.
Malema said South Africans had expressed to him a dire need for social services, including electricity, water and housing. He said people were also desperate for jobs.
“People are desperate for jobs and these jobs must not be given to relatives and members of certain political parties.”
He told EFF members to campaign in every home, even homes of ANC members.
He also visited voter registration sites in KwaMashu, Umlazi and Welbedacht, west of Chatsworth, where he continued to call on EFF members to encourage others to register to vote, especially young people.