More than a thousand Middledrift community members who braved a scorching heat to attend a march against gender-based violence that was to be led by National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete, are still waiting for her arrival -- three hours after the scheduled start.
Mbete was supposed to lead the march to the local police station at 11am.
However, by 2pm, Mbete was nowhere near the venue. The crowd that was anxiously waiting for her in the local hall, showed their displeasure by howling when an announcement was made that she was running late after opening a crèche in Fort Beaufort earlier today.
Mbete was meant to also deliver the Charlotte Maxeke memorial lecture at 2pm. When the march eventual commenced at 2pm, without Mbete, more than 500 people joined in singing pro-Zuma songs.
The event organised by the provincial social development department resembled an ANC gathering as most were clad in party regalia and singing pro-party songs. In the absence of Mbete, the march was led by social development MEC Nancy Sihlwayi, who said the scourge of gender-based violence was huge in the area.
The Dispatch was reliably informed that Mbete opted for lunch at a fellow comrades house in Alice, while a packed hall waited for her.
A group of elderly women inside the hall were overheard saying the more than three hours delay by Mbete, was the reason the party "was losing numbers in this area".
Some departmental officials confided to the Dispatch that they were confused whether this was an ANC event or the department's. The memorial lecture has since been rescheduled for 4pm.
Mbete a no-show at anti gender-based violence march
More than a thousand Middledrift community members who braved a scorching heat to attend a march against gender-based violence that was to be led by National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete, are still waiting for her arrival -- three hours after the scheduled start.
Mbete was supposed to lead the march to the local police station at 11am.
However, by 2pm, Mbete was nowhere near the venue. The crowd that was anxiously waiting for her in the local hall, showed their displeasure by howling when an announcement was made that she was running late after opening a crèche in Fort Beaufort earlier today.
Mbete was meant to also deliver the Charlotte Maxeke memorial lecture at 2pm. When the march eventual commenced at 2pm, without Mbete, more than 500 people joined in singing pro-Zuma songs.
The event organised by the provincial social development department resembled an ANC gathering as most were clad in party regalia and singing pro-party songs. In the absence of Mbete, the march was led by social development MEC Nancy Sihlwayi, who said the scourge of gender-based violence was huge in the area.
The Dispatch was reliably informed that Mbete opted for lunch at a fellow comrades house in Alice, while a packed hall waited for her.
A group of elderly women inside the hall were overheard saying the more than three hours delay by Mbete, was the reason the party "was losing numbers in this area".
Some departmental officials confided to the Dispatch that they were confused whether this was an ANC event or the department's. The memorial lecture has since been rescheduled for 4pm.
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