‘They made empty promises’, says resident as Mokonyane campaigns for ANC in Limpopo

Jubilation and skepticism was the order of the day in the sprawling village of Itieleng in the Sekgosese area of the Greater Letaba local municipality when ANC‘s first deputy general-secretary, Nomvula Mokonyane visited the community.

Mokonyane has been criss-crossing the Norman Mashabane region – the biggest in Limpopo in terms of membership in a bid to woo citizens to vote for the ANC.

The region is led by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s political ally, Pule Shayi, who is also executive mayor for the Mopani district municipality.

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Mokonyane was in the area in her election trail, aimed at garnering much needed support for the ANC in the upcoming provincial and national general elections.

The former water and sanitation minister begun her visit in Nwamitwa, in the Markshope sub-region of Tzaneen on Friday.

On Saturday, Mokonyane then visited Modjadji Rain Queen’s palace in Khethakone, where she was confronted with a barrage of challenges, including lack of water provision and infrastructure deficiencies for the Modjadji Royal Kraal, and community, among many other challenges.

Some residents unhappy

Mama Action, as she is affectionately known in ANC politics, proceeded to Kgoshi Raphahlelo in the Sekgosese area before continuing her door to door election campaign trail in the controversial Itieleng.

But there was a lot of brouhaha from angry residents.

“President Ramaphosa was here last year. He was called to officially handover a road to this community from Soekmekaar and Wholesale. But what is amiss is that the president was only taken to a site where the road was okay.

“They raised flacks and pat each other in the back for a work well done. But little did the president know that this was a Bermuda road,” Itieleng resident, Christopher Maake said during the door to door campaign.

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Maake’s words were echoed by another resident, who only introduced himself as Mr Chaamano.

Chaamano said the ANC can lie about anything when desperate for votes.

“We raised the question of the road with them more often than not. But each time, they made empty promises to complete the road. Our issue is that why don’t they complete the project first before making the president a fool and before the door-to-door campaigns,” he asked.

However, the first ANC deputy general secretary ascended the stage to the elation of the virtually jubilant residents.

ANC volunteers

Mokonyane asserted that the ANC was going to win the upcoming elections.

She cautioned the volunteers to work as if there was no tomorrow to garner more support for the ANC ahead of the crucial elections.

“Don’t be deterred by these ones who branched from the ANC. They are just angry.

“They know down their bottom hearts that the ANC is their home. We heard so many things about them when we come here.

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“Some of them gave us tomatoes, avocados, vegetables and fruits to show they want to come back home. We are not fighting them. We want all of them back home,” she said to a round of applause from residents.

Mokonyane called on all ANC volunteers to bring more than 100 voters on the voting day to send the ruling party to victory in the upcoming elections.

Shayi said the time was ripe, the tables were set for the ANC to take the crown.

“It is just a matter of where and when,” the regional chairperson of the ANC’s Norman Mashabane branch said.