Lazarus Dithagiso
MEYERTON.- The community of Sicelo, Silahliwe section and Mamello showed their unyielding faith and undying trust to the African National Congress (ANC).
This comes after the Secretary General (SG) of the ANC, Ace Magashule, made a surprise door-to-door walkabout to listen to the daily experiences of residents. His two consecutive visits recently saw the residents expressing their feelings, blaming the local municipality of Midvaal for failing to serve them.
The community complained about the frustration and pain they said they experienced under the leadership of the Democratic Alliance (DA)-run Midvaal. They informed Magashule that they have never enjoyed democracy in the past twenty years.
The community of Mamello shared their emotional scars of not being allowed to bury their loved ones outside the Midvaal Cemetery. The ANC said that the Midvaal municipality refused the approval for housing development plans by the Gauteng Provincial Government.
“There are no connections to the electricity network for you although there is a nearby electricity station.”
The community members said that they do not have water and toilets and that their children have to travel great distances to school and to town.
Magashule encouraged the community to fight for their rights regardless of the political party in power. He said they must do it peacefully and within the confines of the law.
“Poverty, inequality, joblessness and corruption will be crushed by the people under the stewardship of the ANC.”
Jason Mkhwane, ANC Regional Secretary, listened as the Sicelo residents complained about the conditions, demonstrating a tale of ‘two nations in one city’. The community members said that there are serious restrictions in the suburbs after hours. “The refusal to approve the construction of the housing development for 12000 units in the area adjacent to Klipriver and Golf Park is therefore especially hurtful,” they said.
