Mangaung residents have requested African National Congress (ANC) President Cyril Ramaphosa to prioritise implementing service delivery which is expected to be part of his January 8 statement on Sunday.
Ramaphosa is expected to address thousands of party members, among others, at the Dr Rantlai Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein.
The Party will be celebrating its 111th birthday.
Mangaung residents hope President Cyril Ramaphosa will put more emphasis on service delivery issues during his Party’s January 8 celebration.
Service delivery a big topic
Service delivery issues are top of the agenda for residents of the troubled Mangaung Metro. Sewer spillages, bad roads and uncollected garbage are common in the area.
Residents say the city only gets a face lift when the ANC’s big wigs are in town.
“I would like to see if he can improve here at least about service delivery and not celebrate this annual thing.” one says.
Another adds, “I would like him to talk about the street that I live in, we need his help, the sewer spillage and rats are unbearable and refuse gets thrown in front of our yards.”
“All I’m asking is for the president to build us houses fix our street in our old age.” says another.
The Mangaung Concerned Community’s Sammy Lebogo, started a volunteer programme because of rampant unemployment and severe lack of services in the city.
Lebogo elaborates, “We wish the president of this country ntate Cyril Ramaphosa will take this into consideration, will consider the unemployment issue, business opportunity, service delivery and land, for people of Mangaung.”
This is Bloemfontein. A once beautiful city known as city of roses has been reduced into rubbish 🗑 by a useless and corrupt Mangaung Municipality. If people of Bloemfontein don’t wake up and demand change in 2024 their city will become a slum. pic.twitter.com/spwwvvNhWB
— Mosia Lebea (@LebeamLebea) December 30, 2022
Unacceptable
Political analyst, Sethulego Matebesi, says it is unacceptable that the City creates an impression that things are in order by cleaning up, when the ANC top brass are in town. He says this behaviour sends a bad message to the public.
“I know the president will definitely speak about service delivery, about the performance of municipalities and these very same issues will definitely feature on the State of the Nation Address, but the problem with that is that there is absolutely lack of accountability. If services are not delivered who takes responsibility for that? I know R 240 million was returned to the National Treasury by the Municipality but the question is, why is the ANC not taking action?” adds Matebesi.
Mangaung Metro Municipality has acknowledged the sentiments of residents around lack of service delivery. Municipal spokesperson, Qondile Khedama, says the leadership will have to go on the ground and serve its people.
“It’s good that the leadership including the president of the ruling party is here because these are the people who are determining budgets and determining plans and other programs so it is true we do have a challenge of service delivery we do have sewer spillages we do try our best to do but it not enough. And everybody by now knows that Mangaung meteor had a problem of underground infrastructure where the manifestation thereof is sewer spillages. It’s water leakages and so on so what the community of Mangaung is saying is legit and the leadership will have to look at it. Will have to strengthen the leadership administratively and otherwise.”
Residents are hopeful that the newly-elected party secretary general, Fikile Mbalula, will help bring about change in the area as he hails from Mangaung.
