Kuruman - The ANC’s election machinery was out in full force in the Northern Cape on Thursday when President Jacob Zuma descended on Kuruman to campaign for votes ahead of the May 7 general elections.
Zuma told residents from the area that only the ANC had a plan to improve the lives of the people of the Northern Cape. He said his government had set aside billions of rand to develop the province by building schools, hospitals and clinics.
He also spoke about the achievements of the ANC since 1994. “The lives of our people have continued to get better every day since the ANC took over the country in 1994. South Africa is today a better place to live than it was before 1994… we have a better story to tell.”
He said that the ANC had, over the past 20 years, laid a “solid foundation” for a better South Africa.
Zuma spent the day in Kuruman meeting traditional leaders as well as going door-to-door in the Bankhara Bodulong and Seoding villages.
He also held a mini rally at the Mothibistad Sports Ground where he told thousands of party supporters and members of the community that the ANC could never be compared to any other liberation party on the African continent because “in only 20 years of governance, it had done so much for the people of South Africa”.
“We have a good track record when it comes to governance and service delivery. Nowhere else on the continent will you find a government that gives its people free houses, social grants and many of the things that we have given to our people.”
Zuma said the government would continue to work with mining companies in the area to create more job opportunities. It would also ensure that local businesses were used in the mines’ procurement systems.
During the door-to-door visit in Bankhara Bodulong, Zuma donated two wheelchairs, one to an elderly woman and the other to a young man who had been the victim of a stabbing.
There were mixed reactions from members of the community regarding Zuma’s visit to the town, with some expressing confidence that his visit would change things for the better. “We are all jubilant… his visit shows that he cares for us. We hope that he will talk about the issue of jobs in the area,” Pule Boraki said.
“We are proud of what Zuma did today. His visit has shown that he has not forgotten us,” Tebogo Joikanyang said.
However, others viewed Zuma’s visit as looking for votes. “He is here for his own issues which is to ask us to vote for the ANC. But I do not have confidence in his party because it is failing to deal with the issues of unemployment in the area,” John Jobe said.
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