Crime, jobs and service delivery challenges are some of the most pressing issues the people of Dube, in Soweto, raised with ANC veteran and former Gauteng premier Tokyo Sexwale.
Sexwale was leading another ANC election campaign in the historical township on Wednesday morning.
Bongani Mkhatshwa, who was retrenched during Covid-19, told The Star of the pain of unemployment which affects not only young people, but older people who are able-bodied but cannot find work.
“Our children are not working. We as their parents are able-bodied but cannot find work. I could be working but companies are not hiring us because of our age.
“However, in spite of these challenges, we remain hopeful that the ANC will rectify its mistakes, and we are happy to see people like comrade Tokyo campaigning in our midst,” he said.
Another resident, Michael Ntshingila, added: “I grew up under the ANC. I am one of the first people to support Moroka Swallows. Today, Moroka Swallows is not doing well as a football club, but I could never say I am no longer a fan.
“The same could be said about the ANC. Having grown in the ANC, I do not think I will ever leave the ANC. I want them to solve the issue of crime and give our children jobs, so that we can be safe as a community.”
During his address to the media, Sexwale, who was joined by ANC provincial secretary TK Nciza alongside award-winning musician Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse and former Kaizer Chiefs player Doctor Khumalo, acknowledged some of the biggest mistakes and challenges that had confronted the governing party since the dawn of democracy.
He also admitted to the failure by the ANC in using its majority in Parliament to pursue a pro-South African agenda which has resulted in people losing hope with the ANC.
He reiterated his earlier statements that the time to argue and fight while the house burns has come to a stop until such time as the fire has been put out.
“South Africa’s Constitution is still the best in the world. We are satisfied that we have a very good Constitution. The challenge is to behave properly around that Constitution and make sure that before we amend, we do not amend what is already there. It was a shocker that when we had two-thirds majority we did not do well.
“The land question, there are things that we were supposed to do with the majority, but it was a shortcoming that we did not do much with it because we believed in the niceness of Codesa because our people do not eat freedom of speech and other freedoms in the Constitution,” he said.
Speaking on the sidelines of the campaign, Mabuse urged artists and entertainers to use the freedoms granted in the Constitution to fight for their own issues as well as issues affecting ordinary South Africans.
“During apartheid, musicians and artists used their voices to fight oppression at the time they faced censorship and threats from the then government. We cannot now waive this hard-fought freedom and not raise our own issues or issues faced by our people just because we think we are free.
“We must continuously use our voice to fight for change,“ he said.
The Star