By Anita Dangazele
The ANC in the Eastern Cape says its main priority is making sure that the people of the province have access to quality basic services.
In a two-day lekgotla in Gqeberha, the party’s provincial executive committee and alliance partners discussed key challenges facing the province.
The ANC praised the provincial government for its successes such as improved matric results to over 80% and a decrease in the unemployment rate.
As the party heads to the much-anticipated upcoming general elections, the premier and provincial chairperson Oscar Mabuyane called for unity among members to achieve victory.
“Instability has made our people lose confidence in the ANC, so we lost… other areas and all metros,” Mabuyane said.
The lekgotla discussed ways of improving health and education and responses to natural disasters, including severe flooding that had washed away road networks in rural parts of the province.
ANC Eastern Cape secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi said: “We are looking at a new strategy in dealing with matters so that there will be no difference between rural, local and provincial roads. We will rather use a rural approach so that the province and the locals can consolidate the budget to deal with roads.”
Ngcukayitobi added that the ANC was confident it would continue running the province and was not worried about the newly-formed uMkhonto Wesizwe party supported by former president Jacob Zuma.
“People of the Eastern Cape are very politically conscious and know criminals by name,” he said.
“That’s why in the past conferences when we said, ‘Zuma must go, Zuma must be sacked from the African National Congress’, there was huge support from the Eastern Cape.”
Pictured above: Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane and ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi.
Image source: ANC EC
