By Palesa Matlala
- Ramaphosa told 40,000 ANC councillors in Soweto they are failing communities, saying the DA is showing better results in running municipalities.
- Councillors hit back, saying they are blamed for broken services while the government withholds funds, leaving them powerless to fix problems.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has admitted the ANC must take accountability for failing municipalities – and said it hurts that some of the best run towns are DA-led.
Ramaphosa spoke to 40,000 ANC councillors at the FNB Stadium in Soweto, telling them the party must ask itself what the DA is doing better.
But grassroots councillors hit back, saying the blame is falling on them while the government starves them of resources.
An Orlando councillor said they are the ones facing residents daily while funds take months to arrive. He pointed to the water crisis in Westbury and Coronationville, saying councillors had no answers for residents.
In Johannesburg, councillor Sejaki of Protea Glen said communities complain about broken street lights, sewage and illegal dumping, but requests for budget are ignored.
“Our hands are tied. The president should not call us out publicly but work with us to solve problems,” he said.
Scrolla.Africa has seen emails showing Sejaki’s unanswered complaints about street lights that have been out for months.
Reverend Frank Chikane, chair of the ANC’s integrity committee, said they have launched a hotline for residents to report councillors who fail on service delivery.
Pictured above: Cyril Ramaphosa at the event.
Image source: @MYANC
