ANC cadres on the other side of the political split in Matjhabeng are threatening to derail and disrupt the visit of Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa, (ANC president) to Matjhabeng.
Ramaphosa will be visiting Welkom tomorrow as part of the ANC’s Letsema – Together Building Better Communities campaign.
Cadres and politicians in the opposing ANC faction are dissatisfied that Ramaphosa will only be taken to clean parts of Matjhabeng, and that he will not in essence be shown the darker and dirtier side of the community.
A Facebook post by ANC cadre Tshepo Davids on Thursday evening, showing refuse compactors and municipal workers cleaning Central Park in Stateway, caused a avalanche of comments. The same post was also distributed on WhatsApp groups dealing with service delivery issues.
Matjhabeng residents lashed out on Facebook.
“Our refuse has not been fetched for more than a month now, yet they jump to clean Stateway for the president,” said one man.
Another said that even if they left it filthy, Ramaphosa would not care, as he was only in Matjhabeng to promote his lies.
One irate woman wrote that the municipal officials cleaning the park and Stateway would be getting overtime, and possibly also bonusses for their hard work.
“What were the striking workers promised again? I’m sure it is something that is not sustainable, and when the president leaves the service will be gone again. Please don’t lie to the president, show him what is really happening, and what we must live in. Residents should go and dump their trash that has not been collected for weeks at those places Ramaphosa will be visiting, even in the CBD.”
To this a man answered: Count me in, you have got my support.
The Facebook tirade was endless, and one man wrote that Ramaphosa’s cavalcade must be taken down Koppie Alleen Road past the sewage pumps there.
Comments in all the official South African languages flew between the posts, and many were also alluding to tender fraud and corruption.
“The town has been dirty for three weeks now because of the municipal strike. It is sad. How will the president see the struggles the municipality are facing, when they clean tonight and after that it is going to be back to dirty.”
Residents are questioning the morale behind the visit. “Why is the president not visiting Riebeeckstad, Henenman, Ventersburg and all of the areas in distress. “Why is he only being taken to clean, controlled areas. Matjhabeng Municipality is a circus.”
Vista approached both the Office of the Executive Mayor and a spokesperson for the provincial ANC’s office for comment. No-one was available to comment on the threat of disruption during Ramaphosa’s visit.
At 14:00 on Friday the Welkom Publicity Association was informed to move the entire monthly flea market with its more than 100 to the Welkom Technical High School’s sports grounds. This is due to security precautions, and now Ramaphosa’s helicopter will be landing in North Park, the established flea market terrain.
