As the ruling party and government of the day, we condemn in the strongest terms, the violence which characterised service delivery protests in the affected municipalities in the province. We accept that people have a constitutional right to protest if they are not happy about something, but we categorically denounce the destruction of infrastructure and properties in the cause of such protests.
But what really annoys me to even want to strangle someone, are opportunists in our midst, who pretend to be caring for the welfare of our people. They think they can do it better, forgetting that it is their fore-fathers who have put us into this mess we are experiencing today. They are the architects of our current situation, having meticulously planned it to bear fruit during our rule. As a result, you deliberately choose to have amnesia about what your cruel fore-fathers planted during their unjustified rule of over hundred years. I hope you must eternally have this condition and even forget that you exist, though your existence would not even patch a hole.
Let me remind you amnesiac people, you fore-fathers were only concentrating in developing the areas where the white people lived, making huge debt which they left for us to settle, when we took over government. We acknowledge that there have been delays and obstacles along the way, in our continuing and unwavering quest to provide a better life for our people, but we abhor your fake misleading act of pretending to care for our people.
Our people would not be moved by your crocodile tears. In fact, we know that your supposed concern is meant to indirectly tell us that the former white areas are no longer being serviced the way they used to under your devious apartheid government. The tables have turned now, our focus will continue to be mainly, listen carefully, and underline the word “mainly,” in areas previously neglected by your heartless fore-fathers. I don’t want you to rush to open your mouth without thinking and say things I did not say.
I know that you would rather strangle yourselves than to acknowledge that, we as the ruling African National Congress, have made significant strides towards ensuring that our people receive free basic services and other required services. We acknowledge that we have not done much, but given our infancy stage of 15 years, we believe we have done far much better to undo the evil deeds of your fore-fathers. Anyway, like the English have said, “birds of the same feathers flock together.” Your fore-fathers messed our country, and like “chips of old blocks,” you continue to bark and yell uncontrollably like constipated dogs as if you can bite, though you do not have teeth. As they say, die appel val nie ver van die boom af nie!
You are such opportunists as if your fore-fathers had done it better for the black men and women. Though we abhor in the strongest terms, the destruction of properties and infrastructure during those protests, I believe you are living in the fool’s paradise, an ideal world. Angry people do all sorts of things which they later regret. You can’t blame our government for the destruction of properties as if it is us who did that. Common sense tells us, if it is common within you, that angry people deal with their anger in many different ways; so please use your common sense before opening your big mouth.
Some of your friends, who also belong to the rubbish bin of politics like yourselves, want to poison people’s minds that only municipalities led by women are being targeted. They are just opportunists like yourselves because they choose to forget that as a caring organisation, we constantly do an introspection to check whether we are on the right track, and even re-align our systems and structures of governance, if needs be.
We have always believed in the capability of women, it is however unfortunate and coincidental that women leaders, have been removed in municipalities which experienced service delivery protests. Once you are all ready to get out of the self-imposed state of amnesia, please use your “uncommon” common sense before you blot our people’s minds. If you cannot, help is a hand away for your chronic verbal diarrhoea.
Working together, we can do more to resolve challenges hampering our continuation to provide a better life for all our people.
The ANC leads, the ANC lives!
Ngiyathokoza Honourable Speaker
Issued by: Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, Mpumalanga Provincial Government
17 November 2009
Source: Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, Mpumalanga Provincial Government (http://www.mpumalanga.gov.za/dedet/index.asp)
