By ZWANGA MUKHUTHU
ANC Dr WB Rubusana region chairman Xola Pakati was yesterday hailed as a “messiah” by supporters during the party’s manifesto launch in King William’s Town.
The man who is poised to become Buffalo City Metro’s next mayor after the August local government elections, has several mammoth tasks ahead of him, including uniting a divided ANC and appeasing a growing number of disgruntled youth without jobs.
But Pakati seemed unfazed by this when he took to the podium to address more than 500 ANC supporters at the King William’s Town War Memorial Hall.
Under his leadership, BCM will have to ensure its bulk budget expenditure is in accordance with the Municipal Finance Management Act to fight unemployment, inequality and improve service delivery.
Laying out his priorities ahead of the election, Pakati said: “We are building on what we have already done as the ANC. As we bring the manifesto to the people, there are challenges that are confronting the people of Buffalo City, such as unemployment, poverty and inequality.
“Inequality is very glaring, especially amongyoung people in particular who are unemployed in this region.”
He said to fight unemployment among the youth he and his team would develop multi-prolonged strategies to skill young people so they could generate their own employment.
“The growth of the economy is such that not everybody will be able to get jobs. With the right skills people will be able to contribute to the economy of the region by creating sustainable livelihoods.
Pakati said he would work with state agencies outside the metro to see to it that the youth are assisted in their quest for a better life.
The metro is besieged with allegations of corruption leading to wasteful expenditure.
Responding to this, Pakati said: “The municipality should be able to sort out its administrative issues so it can be able to respond to the challenges of overspending and spend regularly in a manner that is expected in terms of the Municipal Finance Management Act.
“If we are not able to sort that out we will not be able to fulfil those challenges relating to service delivery. We have to position the administration of the city in a way that it is responsive to the challenges facing us.
“The question of unemployment can’t be the matter that will be resolved by the municipality only, we need provincial and national government support, including state-owned enterprises that are operating in the economic development space.”
Pakati declined to reveal who would be his deputy saying only the party could do that.
King William’s Town resident and ANC supporter Luphumlo Stefane said Pakati was the “messiah”.
“I am confident he is going to build the ANC and change the lives of BCM people.”
The party will host its last election rally before the elections in East London on July 31. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za