African National Congress (ANC) president Cyril Ramaphosa says creating jobs, reducing the cost of living and providing decent basic services will be the main priorities of the ANC’s 7th government after the 29 May elections.
He was speaking to the media after his door-to-door campaign in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg on Sunday.
Most residents complained about unemployment, especially among young people, and poor service delivery from their municipality.
ANC president arrived to a thunderous crowd and residents coughed out what troubles them. The 87-year-old Elizabeth Matona, who is on life support narrated her harrowing story to the president of the governing party.
Matona says, “I am losing my breath, and the gas that I am using needs power to work but electricity is expensive and the fact that I have to go to the hospital is expensive for me because I have to pay R500 and I am not working. I am left with my grandchildren and they are not working.”
After interacting with some of these community members, the ANC president says it was a day well spent.
“I will leave this place very encouraged about our campaign and also about what we need to do to advance the lives of our people. I have met a variety of people who are facing health challenges we have been able to address the challenges that they face and inform them about the systems that we have put in place to address their challenges so it has been a good morning a very good day in the office.”
7th ANC administration
He now says the main priority for the seventh ANC administration has been cut out.
“The number one priority of the 7th administration which is going to be led by the ANC, is jobs. Giving dignity to our people, making sure that we support the livelihoods of our people, and of course the other accompanying aspect of our manifesto is that we need to address the issue of this rising level of income, the expenditure that our people are being drawn into need to be brought down. But we also need to pay close attention to the delivery of services, we need to ensure that our people get the proper services so that they can get a livelihood of real dignity.”
With Gauteng now being the battleground for the 29 May polls, ANC Provincial Chairperson Panyaza Lesufi appreciates the presence of their national leadership in the hotly contested province insisting on what interests a Gauteng voter in these elections.
ANC Gauteng Provincial Chairperson Panyaza Lesufi says, “It’s a combination of everything. Obviously appreciate the work that we are doing. Secondly, impatience in terms of some of the things that affect them, especially crime, lack of jobs, and service delivery in terms of roads. But in terms of the position of the ANC, we are highly confident and we appreciate that the president prioritises us, every second month he is in our province we need that us as a province so that we can really protect our province but most importantly we can provide the necessary answers to the issues that affect our people.”
Attack on Israel
President Ramphosa also weighs in on the latest attack on Israel by Iran, saying that this could have been avoided …..
“We did warn at a very early stage, that unless the war between Israel and Palestine and Gaza, is handled with care and with great wisdom to ensure that there is a ceasefire and humanitarian assistance the war will soon escalate beyond the borders of Israel and it would engulf the countries in the Middle East. We should not be having a regional conflict when we know what the origins of this conflict are and we therefore call on all parties to desist from escalating this conflict. It is a very dangerous conflict that could escalate way beyond even the borders of the Middle East.”
This comes in the wake of Iran launching 300 drones and missiles in a retaliatory attack on Israel. Tehran has also warned that if Israel retaliates, it should brace itself for a response that is even more forceful.
