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ANC Gauteng threatens mass action amid demands

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The African National Congress (ANC) in the Johannesburg region has threatened rolling mass action should their demands not be responded to by the end of October.

Thousands of ANC members marched through the city centre where they handed over memoranda to the offices of Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba, Gauteng Premier David Makhura and Eskom.

They want Mashaba to restore the free delivery of basic water and to collect rubbing that’s pilling up on street corners. They’ve called on Makhura to speed up the delivery of houses and to complete unfinished housing projects. The marchers have also called on Eskom to upgrade its electricity infrastructure.

Thousands of ANC supporters and their alliance partners painted the city of Joburg yellow when they marched to the offices of Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba, Gauteng Premier David Makhura and Eskom.

They say they are marching to demand quality services for the residents of Johannesburg. They given the all three until the end of this month to respond. ANC Johannesburg regional chairperson Geoffrey Makhubo says failure to to so, will result in protests.

“There’ll be rolling mass action in the city if the city reply in the negative. We gave the premier the same deadline…..we need a plan about the acceleration of housing projects. Eskom says they will come back to us by the 31st of October.”

They are calling on Mashaba to restore the free delivery of basic water, clean the city and for Eskom to upgrade its electricity network to prevent power outages in townships such as Soweto, Ivory Park and Orange Farm during the winter season. They are also called on Makhura to speed up the delivery houses. Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi accepted the memorandum on behalf of the Premier.

“On behalf of the Gauteng Provincial Government we only accept this memorandum. We want to put it very clear. there’s no single government that can govern the people of Gauteng without the Gauteng government. In whatever that we do, the people of Gauteng, whether they are in Joburg, Tshwane or Ekurhuleni they still remain the people of Gauteng and all of them deserves service delivery wherever they are.”

The March ended at the City of Joburg Head office in Braamfontein. Mayor Mashaba also did not come to receive the memorandum but delegated the City’s Finance MMC Funzi Ngobeni. He says they agree with the issues that the marchers are raising, however he wont be surprised to see more of these marches because the country is heading towards elections.

“I wanted to separate the issues that they are raising with political gimmicks because all of us are in politics and we can see from very far and even if you are not a politician if there’s a political gimmick. But never the less, to us what is important is the issues that they have raised. And we agree with most of the cases raised and we are going to attend to them.”

All the three offices have until the end of this month to respond or risk facing rolling mass action.

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