SIYABONGA SITHOLE
ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe has defended the ANC’s performance in ensuring proper service delivery to the people of Bochabela and other townships in the Free State, who are battling with a range of service delivery challenges.
In the city of Bloemfontein, citizens complained about water problems, sewage problems, refuse collection, potholes, and load shedding as some of the service delivery issues affecting their lives.
In Heidedal, a predominantly coloured community, residents said they felt neglected and underserved as they were unemployed.
In Botshabelo, the issues of crime, sewage, drugs, and the influx of illegal immigrants were said to be the biggest challenges facing the people there. Some of the areas still use a bucket system and continue to be riddled with other service delivery issues, including lack of proper housing.
Speaking to SABC news, Mabe said the newly-elected ANC leadership should be given time to organise itself and come up with solutions to some of the key service delivery issues faced by the people of the Free State.
“Without necessarily zooming in on a specific problem or challenge in Bochabela of the bucket system and the eradication of the bucket system, we must say that we have just emerged from Nasrec. This leadership is new from the box. It just got elected in the Nasrec conference. Let us give this leadership space, and let us allow them space to reflect on all of this so that they can come up with solutions that are fit for purpose,” he said.
Asked if this was not another excuse to ensure that the party is not held accountable for the suffering of ordinary people, Mabe said it was not an excuse as the leaders of the party would like to make an assessment of service delivery challenges.
On Thursday, Mabe stated that the ANC does not take the support of ordinary South Africans for granted, as it demonstrates that people care despite the challenges and service delivery issues they face on a daily basis.
“We love the ANC but we have a problem with the party because of crime and unemployment as our children are unemployed. We want the ANC to solve some of the issues affecting us. Housing, crime, and load shedding are some of the big issues. “Sometimes, we feel that life was better under apartheid than it is now,” one community member of Bochabelo told The Star.
