Weeks of violent protest over service delivery have earned the troubled Sakhile township a visit by senior African National Congress (ANC) figures on Thursday, in the area on a ‘fact-finding†mission.
A convoy of eight police cars with sirens blazing announced the arrival of ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) members in Standerton.
Malusi Gigaba and Fikile Mbalula arrived for discussions with provincial and municipal officials at about 10am on Thursday.
A smiling Gigaba energetically greeted the officials who were awaiting his arrival in front of the municipal offices.
Among those he greeted was Lekwa municipality mayor Juliet Queeneth Radebe-Khumalo.
Radebe-Khumalo is one of the officials whom protesting Sakhile township members have demanded resign.
Also present to meet Gigaba and Mbalula was Mpumalanga minister for safety and security Sibongile Manana.
But the protests and destruction continued while meetings between provincial and municipal officials and ANC NEC members continued.
”We are burning stuff because those who are our mayors took money for themselves,” said Joseph Makhaza (26).
”We want RDP houses, we want water and we need bridges.”
Sakhile township has for the past weeks been rocked by service delivery protests that have seen blockaded roads, burnt municipal buildings and massive damage to property.
‘All the ANC is doing as a political party is to officially gather its own information and to propose an intervention,†ANC spokesperson Ishmael Mnisi said earlier.
Earlier claims by community leader Phanuel Manana that ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe would be visiting the township proved untrue.
Mnisi said this would not be the case and did not know why Manana made that claim.
For the past week, residents have been demanding that President Jacob Zuma personally visit the township. — Sapa