Service delivery protests confronted the ruling African National Congress’ final push for votes for municipal polls set for November 1, as angry residents barricaded several roads in a bid to highlight their grievances to President Cyril Ramaphosa during a campaign in Soweto.
Hundreds of supporters descended on Thokoza Park where party president Ramaphosa received a roaring welcome as he appealed to voters to return the ANC to its former glory – a position of governance in all the country’s metros.
But the welcome was marred by streets protests as residents complained of electricity outages, which topped the list of their concerns before they head to the polls to cast their votes on Monday.
Residents burned tyres, used rocks, tree branches and other objects to block roads near the venue of ANC’s campaign which has widespread criticism of its broken promises.
Reflecting on the party’s campaigns across the country, Ramaphosa said people had raised their “issues with the party leadership clearly, fearlessly and, sometimes, angrily.”
Despite this, people believed the ANC was the only party capable of fixing the rot, he added.
While Ramaphosa admitted that under his administration “many communities are not getting the services they need and deserve,” he assured them that the party would do better if voted into power.
Promising to end the constant power outages by the weekend, Ramaphosa said the party leadership had noted several grievances and difficulties that the majority of residents in the country continued to experience — and would work hard to make amends.
NM/jn/APA