ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa. Photo: Facebook/ANC
President Cyril Ramaphosa has been applauded by some and criticised by others, after he shared his excitement at the large number of people who came to see him on the campaign trail.
Speaking to a crowd in Botshabelo in Bloemfontein, Free State, Ramaphosa said he was there because he was told that the community of Botshabelo are huge supporters of the African National Congress (ANC).
“I am grateful to see so many of you. I was told that this is the home of the ANC. They said ANC sleeps here, wakes up here, walks, runs and plays here – it does all these things here,” said the president.
Ramaphosa said the large numbers of ANC volunteers present at the Thabo VD Chabeli Sports Ground was an indication that the party will win in the upcoming elections.
He said he had good interactions with the people of Free State, while uplifting them and listening to their needs and hopes.
“Here in Botshabelo the ANC has enormous support and we have no doubt that our returns here in the elections are going to be quite huge and substantial. It is wonderful to be here,” said the ANC commander-in-chief.
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While some said the large number of supporters was a sign of the ANC president’s popularity and the ruling party’s strength, others claimed those in attendance may have been unable to find jobs and were “coming out for food parcels”.
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Last week Ramaphosa had tongues wagging when he told a young woman from Orange Farm to “keep searching” for a job.
While others came to the president’s defence saying his hands were tied, some said his response lacked empathy.
Addressing the media, Ramaphosa said he was displeased at the rate at which informal settlements were increasing in Botshabelo. The president proposed two options for infrastructure development and human settlements in the area.
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“We will continue with building RDP houses but we will also be providing serviced stands for people who want to build their own houses. What I find to be most appealing to many people they see that [building their own homes] as a more viable option and that is what we are going to do,” he added.
However, this too was met with social media rage. Many said the president “lies too much”, while a fair share of other reactions called for border management to reduce the influx of informal settlements.
Ramaphosa called on media publications to be fair and unbiased in their reporting. He said the media mostly fixated on reporting the negative parts while ignoring the good that has been done.
“I would like for the media to look at balanced reporting. Quite often and many people can testify to this. There is always the darker side that the media focuses on and not the brighter side.
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“Our story as South Africa is a mixture of both good and not so good,” the president added.
Furthermore, Ramaphosa reiterated the need for balanced reporting. He said credit must be handed where it is due and be “very critical where fault or mistakes have been made”.
The ANC leader added he supports and endorses media freedom, however, he simultaneously “yearns” for the media to report on both the good and the bad.
“You can write whatever you like, you have the freedom to write bad things even about the president but don’t forget some of the good things even about everybody else”.
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