Ramaphosa: ANC will ‘do the best’ to deal with ‘difficult and complex’ problems

President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed voters at the Hitakeni Primary School in Chiawelo, Soweto, after casting his vote in the local government elections.

Ramaphosa believes the African National Congress (ANC) will achieve “an overwhelming victory in Johannesburg and various metros in Gauteng”.

Local elections 2021:

President Ramaphosa cast his vote

Clad in the iconic Madiba shirt, President Ramaphosa looked jovial when he made his mark.

His voting station at Hitekani Primary School, a stone’s throw away from his childhood home, was abuzz with people who wanted to grab his attention.

“It has been a few weeks of real hard work, but I am glad to see that many South Africans are seemingly very excited to exercise their democratic right.”

Ramaphosa says ANC will do better

Speaking to residents who had been experiencing water and electricity outages, Ramaphosa said this is the “election where we are clearly saying to our people that we are going to do the best”.

Ramaphosa said the service delivery issues in the region was “very difficult and complex,” and acknowledged that residents “have reason to complain”.

“We know what the problems are, they are clear and we have said this time around we want to correct what has not gone well.”

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‘Housing, electricity, water, sanitation, decent roads’

In a recorded message released ahead of the Local Government Elections, Ramaphosa said citizens “have the power to make local government stronger through their vote”.

“Local Government Elections are about the issues that matter to all of us: housing, electricity, water, sanitation and decent roads. We all want to get better services.”

“This can only happen if local government is strong”.

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‘Your vote (and jab) counts’

Ramaphosa said South Africans all want “decent, sustainable work, […] to see our businesses grow and for our communities to thrive.”

He called on each South African to exercise their “constitutional responsibility as a citizen to build our democracy” through casting their ballot.

“I call on each and every South African who is registered to go out and vote for the candidate and the party of your choice. Your vote counts. Every single vote counts.

The president said South Africans can also make a difference by “visiting one of the hundreds of Covid-19 vaccination stations at voting stations around the country”.