President Cyril Ramaphosa in Parliament on 26 June 2019. Picture: Gallo Images/Netwerk24/Jaco Marais
The fight for control of Polokwane municipality in Limpopo between the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and ANC has begun. The two biggest political parties in Limpopo are competing for the control of the province’s richest council because of the size of its annual budget, revenue and for political power. The ANC is the biggest party in council with 56 seats, followed by the EFF with 21. The Democratic Alliance is third with just seven. Elections next year Now, with elections being held next year, the ANC and EFF have already begun to flex their muscles, with the latter claiming to…
The fight for control of Polokwane municipality in Limpopo between the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and ANC has begun.
The two biggest political parties in Limpopo are competing for the control of the province’s richest council because of the size of its annual budget, revenue and for political power.
The ANC is the biggest party in council with 56 seats, followed by the EFF with 21. The Democratic Alliance is third with just seven.
Now, with elections being held next year, the ANC and EFF have already begun to flex their muscles, with the latter claiming to inaugurate its first executive mayor in the Polokwane municipality soon after elections.
“We warned the ANC not to send a boy to do a man’s job, but like always, they turned a deaf ear,” said EFF provincial chair Tshilidzi Maraga this week.
“Now look what happened. We walloped them.”
He was speaking about the outcome of last week’s ward 10 by-election at Blood River in Moletji, which falls under the Polokwane local municipality. The EFF won the ward.
The ANC had brought out big guns such as Polokwane mayor and Peter Mokaba ANC regional chair Makoro John Mpe and ANC first deputy secretary Nomvula Mokonyane, popularly known in party politics as “Mama Action”, to the “mother of all rallies” to drum up support for the ANC in the by-election.
But this did not work out for the party, as the people of ward 10 voted in favour of the EFF.
“We are going to the polls next year,” said Maraga.
“Since the EFF was voted in, we have begun to clean streets of our towns and villages, delivering water tanks to those without a drop of water.
“We have also begun with our Vuk’uzenzele [get up and do it yourself] programme.”
“In this programme, we revamp the streets, collect litter, fix water pipes and help children to cross roads to schools and shopping malls.
“We also visit old people in their homes to assist on how to access government services and encourage a positive lifestyle in communities, among young and old.
“We do all this because we have made a commitment during elections that we will walk step by step with them, eat the same food as them and be among them at all times.
“We have promised to never desert them because we are what we are today because of them.
“That is why we are going to govern in the Polokwane municipality and elsewhere in Limpopo,” said Maraga.
The ANC, which controls the provincial government, five district municipalities and majority of local municipalities, is ready to put up a fight.
Through its provincial spokesperson Jimmy Machaka, the party said it was equally ready for the fight to win the elections.
“We have increased our membership in ward 10 and won the by-election in Blouberg with flying colours,” he said.
“We are the only government that gives people free basic services – we have been doing that since the advent of democracy and we are ready to do more.”
Machaka said the Polokwane municipality had successfully delivered roads, electricity, houses and access to free basic services such as healthcare and education to all communities in Polokwane.
Although there was no denying there are pockets of problems, the ANC also tried its utmost to deliver water in all villages and townships under the Polokwane municipality.
“Under the capable hands of the executive mayor Makoro John Mpe, the municipality has also managed to restore the provision of clean running water in areas it experienced challenges in the past.”
The mayor, Machaka said, he was also working around the clock with his team of experts to attend to any problems in communities as soon as possible.
“It is not by mistake our slogan is ‘the ANC lives, the ANC leads’.
“That is why we are going to continue governing the Polokwane municipality come the elections next year.
“So for the EFF to claim victory, is a lie that needs a powerful rubber to erase,” said Machaka.
READ MORE: ANC, EFF and ActionSA to battle it out for control of Polokwane’s ward 10
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