Sibonelo Zwane
Wearing ANC party regalia, speaker after speaker went on stage at a community hall in Orlando and spoke about the ruling party.
Yet this was supposed to be a memorial service for the 16 people who had been slain at Mdlalose tavern in Soweto last Saturday night, not a political rally.
To make matters worse, the EFF also arrived dressed in their party regalia and waving red flags.
Disappointed and heartbroken residents walked away from the memorial service of the Nomzamo16, dismissing it as an ANC rally.
Angry resident Nontobeko Shandu, 28, said this was neither the time nor the place for political parties to campaign.
“We lost our brothers and neighbors here, people we broke bread with. If the ANC really cared they would have come in their casual clothes to support us, not this circus they are doing here.
“They put up their banners and wore their regalia as if this is the siyanqoba rally. They have no respect for the families,” said Shandu.
Simthembile Jokazi told Scrolla.Africa that politicians have no shame.
“Why would they come and chant struggle songs when families need hymns and words of comfort and encouragement? They’ve lost the plot and just continue to embarrass themselves,” said Jokazi.
A family member of one of the victims, who declined to be named, said they have no choice but to tolerate these charades by the political parties because the politicians are helping them organise the funerals.
“We can’t teach adults morals. All we want is for our children to be buried with dignity and their killers to be found. All this other stuff matters not to us,” he said.
When the Scrolla.Africa team approached ANC provincial secretary TK Nciza about their behaviour at the memorial service, he said their party leads the people.
“The community accepts, understands, and knows the work of the ANC. It’s us who have organised it but we have opened it for everybody. Even when the party tries to do good you want to question us. Allow us to mourn in peace,” Nciza told our reporters.
Just before the end of the memorial service, a group of EFF members arrived at the service singing and waving their flags. They were not singing songs of comfort, but struggle songs.
Some of the families will be burying their loved ones this weekend while others that cannot afford a burial are still waiting for funeral home Avbob and the government to confirm the logistics.
