Johannesburg – President Cyril Ramaphosa has applauded the bravery of the two Nakedi teenagers who were racially abused by a group of old white men at the Maselspoort Resort in Bloemfontein on Christmas Day.
Ramaphosa commended the teenagers who were on stage as his guests of honour during his delivery of the ANC’s January 8 statement at the Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein, which marked the ANC’s 111th anniversary celebrations.
Ramaphosa said racism had no place in a democratic South Africa, adding that he was proud of the teenagers for having stood firm against racists.
“We thank these young men, and we also thank their parents for having stood firm to make sure that they resist racist acts and practices that were being perpetuated against them. It was such a painful act to see old white males trying to throttle these young men and to drown them in a pool under water. It was the most shameful act perpetrated against young boys like these. That is why they are my guests. I thank you, young men, and continue being brave and strong. Do not be scared of white people,” Ramaphosa said during his opening address.
Ramaphosa, who delivered a speech that touched on some of the country’s key issues, including gender-based violence, crime, service delivery and other infrastructure challenges, was far more candid in his much-anticipated address.
With the people of Free State having openly decried a lack of service delivery, Ramaphosa said the ANC and the government would prioritise delivering services to the people of South Africa. Ramaphosa stated that he had seen the deplorable state of the province’s roads, which were littered with potholes.
He did not mince words on some of the failures in government, both nationally, provincially and locally, saying those who were failing at their jobs should shape up or ship out.
“We need to drive our energies toward solving the pressing problems faced by the people of South Africa. This renewal process is irreversible. It is irrevocable. We can’t go back on it. Those who want to reverse it must stand aside and let us continue and go forward with it. The recent ANC conference has shown that the renewal of the ANC is crucial and is now unstoppable,” he said.
Ramaphosa also had kind words for the female informal traders who were chased away by members of the police outside the stadium.
He said he was shocked to learn in the media that some of the informal traders plying their trade outside the stadium were turned away, adding that informal traders were important contributors to the country’s economy.
“I was shocked to learn from the media that there are women and men who sell outside the stadium who had a problem when they were chased away from their stalls. That thing hurt me very much when we saw on TV that they were chased away because they did not have a permit to sell outside. I have since asked deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane to look into this matter,” he said.
Ramaphosa added that abusing informal traders was akin to stifling the country’s economy and trampling on the rights of traders whose livelihoods depend on trading freely.
“We are giving our municipalities and their officials a very clear message that as you apply your regulations, they must be applied in a way that will empower our people. Those who are in the informal sector are doing so to support their families and households. When we chase them away, fine them, or request for them to have permits and many other things, including bribes, we are taking the bread out of their mouths,” he said.
The Star
