ALLEGATIONS of transport “sabotage” and signal network interruptions did not deter thousands of uMkhonto weSizwe Party supporters from packing into Orlando Stadium in Soweto today to listen to party leader Jacob Zuma.
A numbers of party officials said even though transport had been organised to bring members to the Orlando Stadium from KZN and other provinces to attend the rally – being held 11 days before the national and provincial elections – a lot of the arranged transport did not pitch up.
Ward leaders from eThekwini and Newcastle said even though they had organised enough buses to ferry party supporters to Soweto for the launch of the party’s manifesto today, many transport companies affiliated to the ANC had pulled out at the last minute, or not even bothered to arrive.
Several MK Party members claimed the 37 000-capacity stadium would have been packed were it not for this “sabotage”, which they alleged was by people aligned to the governing African National Congress.
An MK member from Ward 25 in Newcastle said they had anticipated the arrival of 25 buses; however, only three had arrived in the morning.
Another member said they had opted to convoy in their own cars and pick up other members wishing to come and hear Zuma’s speech, as they too struggled to get transport.
Access to the signal network inside and close to the stadium proved difficult for a number of journalists, who had also descended upon the stadium, with many expressing frustration at not being able to push their stories out for broadcast or publication.
Despite the transport hiccups, however, thousands of supporters arrived at the stadium, some from as far away as Soshanguve, Ba-Phalaborwa, Katlehong, Ekurhuleni, Pongola, Ntsikazi, Welkom, Bronkhorstspruit and Etwatwa, to hear what South Africa’s former president had to say.
The Star