Residents of Duncan village outside East London are pinning their hopes on Cyril Ramaphosa to free them from degrading poverty. Thousands of them braved the scorching sun to listen to the newly elected African National Congress President.
Ramaphosa led a door-to-door visit in their township earlier on Friday afternoon. This is part of mobilising communities to attend the ANC’s 106 anniversary rally scheduled for the Absa Stadium on Saturday.
Some of the residents say they hope that the Ramaphosa presidency will turn their fortunes around.
Duncan village is a township in Buffalo City in the Eastern Cape province. It is located about 5 kilometres away from the East London city centre.
There are no clear divisions between the informal and formal parts of the township since most shacks are planted on the open spaces within formal houses. Poverty is rife with unemployment among young people, standing at over 50%.
With the ANC having a new president who will possibly become its presidential candidate for the 2019 national elections, Duncan village residents already have high hopes in the Ramaphosa presidency. The ANC president arrived to a thunderous applause before conducting a door-to-door visit at several houses.
He visited the home of late struggle hero Henry Fazzie.
The family lost three sons who all died fighting for liberation. Their 90-year-old mother Nothemba Fazzie says for her the fight for liberation was a costly exercise as she has lost everything including her husband, three sons and valuables.
The ANC President was touched by Fazzie’s story and thanked her for allowing her children to fight in the liberation of the country.
Although her family paid the ultimate price to free this country, Fazzie is still staying in her four bedroom house left by her husband and three sons.
The ANC in the Eastern Cape vowed to renovate her house. The ANC president says people should expect a big surprise when he delivers his first January 8 statement on Saturday.
The call for unity, economic revival and the fight against corruption will feature prominently as the new leadership sets its new path for the next five years. Click below for more on the story:
