AGANG founder Dr Mamphele Ramphele called on South Africans to stop giving the ANC a blank cheque by voting it into power even though it was failing the electorate.
Addressing community members and schoolchildren at Zinyoka Community Hall near King William’s Town yesterday, Ramphele said: “Why do you behave like children and continue to vote for people who fail to fulfil their promises?
“They continue to feed you with lies. They did it once, twice, thrice, and 2007 was the fourth time of being fed lies. Are you going to say let’s do it again for the fifth time because we always do it, while knowing very well they won’t keep their promises?
“I am here to tell you to do things differently by voting wisely and voting differently,” said Ramphele.
The formation of Agang was announced in February this year but its founder, Ramphele, said its official launch would be in June when it registers as a political party to contest next year’s elections.
She visited Zinyoka, a village where she and the late Steve Biko worked after graduating from medical school in the mid-70s. The Zanempilo clinic they started is still operational, even though residents complain of its poor state.
Nobandla Fokwebe, 73, was once one of her patients, and she credited Ramphele with saving her life when she was in labour in 1976.
Reliving the traumatic incident, Fokwebe said: “You woke up late at night and, dressed in your gown, drove me and my child to Mount Coke Hospital. It is because of dedicated doctors and nurses like you that I am still alive. You are living proof of how a leader should treat people,” said Fokwebe.
But she also had an important question for Mamphele.
“How is your organisation going to ensure we do not have people who are supposed to be in retirement deciding our future in Parliament?” Fokwebe said.
“Some have Standard 6 as their highest qualification but they go to Parliament to sleep the whole day while our education system leaves much to be desired.
“T here is no solution coming from the aged MPs because there are no fresh ideas,” said Fokwebe.
Mamphele said: “No country can be run by people who go to work to sleep and eat and still get their salaries.”
Another resident, Winter Malgas, asked Mamphele whether she was there on behalf of the ANC-led government as “ we have been promised a lot of things by different organisations and nothing positive came from it ,” he said.
Mamphele said she had never been a member of the ANC.
“Even though I worked very closely with the (Nelson) Mandela- led government, I’m here as a citizen.”
She promised to come back to the village soon and launch groups which would be the eyes and ears of the Zinyoka community. —