Africa-Press – South-Africa. President Cyril Ramaphosa and most of his Cabinet faced the gory details of years of neglect in the Free State as angry and emotional residents queued up at the presidential imbizo in Mangaung to complain straight to their faces.
There were complaints about local small businesses struggling, criminal incursions by gangs in remote areas, a paucity of schools for disabled children, poor roads, sewage running in streets, a lack of water, abandoned housing developments, and potholes.
The imbizo emanates from a commitment made in the State of the Nation Address that government ministers would go and listen to people’s problems.
The severity of the problems and desperation in small towns and the City of Mangaung had people so worked up they battled to calm themselves and stop speaking once their time was up and the microphone feed was cut for the next person to have their say.
Cabinet this week approved an intervention by the national executive in the governance of the Mangaung metro in terms of Section 139(7) of the Constitution, according to the Presidency. This means national government takes over the running of the City.
Some of the province’s officials and some of their associates were allegedly a key cog in a corruption network which stole money from key projects such an asbestos removal project and a dairy farm which was meant to breathe life into a struggling rural town.
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Those on the carpet included the ministers of human settlements, social development, transport, water and sanitation, environment, health and public works.
There were periods of such frustration during the imbizo, with so many people wanting to get things off their chest, that a small scuffle to be given a chance to speak had to be defused.
Unemployment, crime in Botshabelo came up. They said they needed help with tractors and farming equipment, and have to walk far to fetch water.
“Ntate Matamela, it’s a procedure to get an open stand,” said one man to Ramaphosa.
“Service delivery? There is none in Mangaung,” said another, waving his finger at Ramaphosa.
“Mangaung is under siege,” said one man, saying the municipality was struggling with constant political factionalism in the ANC.
Another man complained about the shortages of nurses at clinics, and battles to get treated at hospitals.
“We are tired,” said one man, shouting and on the verge of tears as he complaining about foreign nationals he said were committing crimes.
Deputy Human Settlements Minister David Mahlobo tried to placate the people in the crowd who were shouting in the agreement, and to get them off the topic of foreign nationals, given heated debates over developments in Diepsloot and the Operation Dudula movement.
Ramaphosa spoke out against othering foreign nationals several times on Saturday.
He listened to the complaints, pecking at the screen of his iPad, and appeared to use a washing hands movement to signal that he wanted to hear the next speaker.
When the mic was handed back to him and the Cabinet ministers, he spoke in a measured voice, switching between multiple languages, and tried to provide comforting details on projects.
Women from Botshabelo told “Ntate umPresident” about the desperate situation regarding crime, hopelessness and drugs, and complained bitterly about the police.
Severe problems in small towns and Mangaung were presented to the Cabinet ministers who promised to rectify the situations as soon as possible and outlined some of their immediate plans.
Summoned to the microphone by Ramaphosa to answer question on mining, Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe said he was disappointed there were none, bar one question about sand mining.
“I thought you would talk about diamonds in Koffiefontein, you would talk about gold in Welkom and Virginia. I thought you would talk about helium in Virginia.
“You only raised questions about sand mining in Wepener. We will go and look for it and understand.
“But if you want to mine sand, just get a licence and mine it properly. Don’t steal it,” he said.
In his closing remarks, Ramaphosa said: “I think our meeting today has been very productive,” thanking people who attended for expressing their views.
“For our part as government, we are able to listen. And we have been able to listen. And, today, we have listened.”
He and his team still have to get through over 3 000 WhatsApp messages of complaints and suggestions, and respond.
“Because through the various issues you have raised, we learn, we get ideas, and we will provide feedback, no matter how difficult these issues are.”
Ramaphosa promised change, and the building of houses, schools and bulk infrastructure.
Cooperative Governance Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said in her closing remarks: “You said Mangaung is messed up.
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