‘Poll parades’ will backfire, ANC told

The ANC’s national leaders were yesterday warned against only visiting communities when elections were on the horizon.

This was the message passed on by community members when ANC heavyweights, including deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte, conducted voter awareness and door-to-door campaigns in the Buffalo City Metro areas of Braelyn Extension and Stoney Drift informal settlement in Amalinda.

Some residents warned that this would one day backfire on the party and lead to people deserting it.

Duarte and ANC national executive committee member Obed Bapela were accompanied by provincial and regional leaders.

Duarte was in town to conduct walkabouts in Braelyn and Amalinda where the team urged people to come out in numbers and vote for the ANC in the August 3 local government elections.

Among those in Duarte’s entourage were BCM deputy mayor and Dr WB Rubusana ANC regional chair Xola Pakati, provincial executive member Mzuyanda Sokujika, health MEC Dr Phumza Dyantyi and the ANC Youth League’s Xolani Witbooi.

Duarte later addressed a mini-rally at a local school where community members were afforded an opportunity to directly address their leaders.

Beauty Ngemntu, 67, tore into the ANC leadership for “deserting” the people until election time.

“We are very disappointed that you people only come to us with your big cars when you are seeking our votes.

“The streets here are littered with potholes everywhere, people are unemployed while others have no houses or programmes to improve lives. We have been complaining about these for some time and no one bothered to listen.

“I have been an ANC member for decades but people will one day desert our organisation if they are only taken seriously once votes are needed. This will one day backfire,” Ngemntu said.

Others complained about crime and drug abuse in the area.

It was more of the same when the team visited the informal settlement bordering Stoney Drift dump site. Residents there urged the party to provide them with houses and other services such as water and electricity.

Vuyokazi Magwa, a social work honours graduate, pleaded for employment opportunities for the community.

Duarte expressed disgust that people were living so close to the dump site, saying it was unacceptable and inhumane. “We have the deputy mayor with us here. We will meet with him and the other ANC regional leaders to demand answers about their plans for this area.

“Our people are not supposed to be living like this. I am ashamed,” she said. — asandan@dispatch.co.za