Kabelo Tlhabanelo
The ANC may have been hoping to charm residents of Brandfort by changing the name of the town to Winnie Mandela, right on the eve of the local government elections.
But the plan has backfired as residents have once again rejected the name – just as they did on 20 August.
Instead, the iconic town of Brandfort – where Winnie Mandela was banished by the apartheid government in 1977 – is spotlighting the ANC’s lack of service delivery.
Residents say a new name for the town would not mask the municipality’s failure to deliver even the most basic services.
Brandfort is one of the last towns in the country where residents still use bucket system toilets.
These blanket entire communities with a nasty stench, especially when sewage is not collected on time.
Thabang Seope from Matlharantlheng told Scrolla.Africa this happens all the time.
“The government should first deal with those issues before they put Mama Winnie’s name in a bad place like this.”
Another resident, Mapitso Mpina, said: “Winnie Mandela would turn in her grave if the poorly developed town in 2021 is named after her.”
Mpina, 29, said this was an attempt by the ruling party to fool residents into thinking good things are still coming.
“We are approaching the elections and now they want us to think they are helping us. Name change of the town where people are forgotten is useless. Imagine me telling people I am from Winnie Mandela Town and we don’t have flushing toilets. Why don’t they use the money to develop the town?”
Residents here are so angry they have defaced and vandalised new road signs with the new name.
Free State Premier spokesperson Sello Pietersen downplayed the postponement and said the name change had been pushed back “because there are other commitments that leadership has to deal with.” He said a new, third date of the unveiling of the new name has not been issued yet.
Meanwhile, the DA is also trying to cash in on the dispute over the name change and says it has a petition signed by about 700 residents who agreed that they were not consulted.
