ANC National Chairperson Gwede Mantashe. Picture: Itumeleng English/Independent Newspapers
Witchcraft is when an organisation that has been in charge for decades only realises that it needs to better the lives of the people it’s been serving now; it’s the highest disrespect, Mahlomola Mohlomi said on Wednesday.
Mohlomi was responding to the promises ANC National Chairperson Gwede Mantashe made on Tuesday in Virginia during his door-to-door campaign he was leading in Ward 23.
“These politicians are very busy in the four years that they are in office; they don’t even bother coming down here to check if what they promised us was being provided by their counterparts here in the province.
“Even these ones in our province, you hardly see them but only during the elections or if one of their prominent friends has died. Other than that, zilch, so, most of us are just tired of hearing the lies,” he said.
Mohlomi said their town has turned into a “ghost town” as most of the mines have been shut down and the majority of residents have been unemployed since.
“Mines were the only source of income for us, and ever since most of them are closed, there was nothing for us as residents. Even people who came to work here, have all gone back to their homes, hence, you see our town is like this.”
During his campaign trail, Mantashe promised residents that the governing party would address the high cost of living by taking steps to make everyday life more affordable for workers, unemployed persons, women and child-headed households.
He said they would do that by addressing key needs like food, housing, health, energy, transport and low wages.
“Over the next five years, we will improve governance and public service, work with communities to deliver quality and reliable basic services and maintain and build new infrastructure that drives growth and creates opportunities for the youth.
“We will continue the progressive realisation of universal quality basic services and the provision of a social wage through education, housing, transport, water, sanitation, electricity, health care and communications,” Mantashe said.
The Star
sipho.jack@inl.co.za
Related Topics: