Ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s much-anticipated speech at the FNB stadium later today, ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said that despite the challenges the country faces, South Africa is much better now than it was 30 years ago.
More than 90 000 ANC supporters are expected to attend what could be Ramaphosa’s last big ANC gathering ahead of next week’s elections.
His address comes a day after he passed two bills into law on Friday and just under five days ahead of the elections.
The draft legislation he signed included the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Bill, which aims to combat gender-based violence (GBV) by establishing the National Council on GBV and Femicide; and, the National Prosecutions Amendment Bill, which aims to clear a path for a Scorpion-like prosecuting authority.
Bhengu-Motsiri, speaking to the SABC from the stadium, said the ANC is ready to govern and continue its mandate after the elections, following Ramaphosa’s reception by South Africans across the country during his more than three-month campaign trail.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa has taken the messages he has received from the elderly, who say they still want to vote for the ANC, to heart. Those are some of the elements that have gotten the president very emboldened. I have not seen the President being this light hearted in a space such as the campaign trail, as he was telling the story of democracy and transformation to ensure that this story continues,” she said.
On the issues of service delivery and its challenges over the past 30 years, Bhengu-Motsiri said progress had been made to ensure South Africans, especially the poor, received access to water, sanitation, electricity, and education.
“It is correct that there have been some challenges in the delivery of services since the transition into democracy. But you have to look at how the infrastructure has had to be stretched as a result of the transition into democracy, when it was infrastructure that provided for a minority.
“However, look at the fact that today, 93% of those who are funded for higher education are funded through the NSFAS. This is a dream that has not been deferred because for the first time we have such a large number of graduates, which was unseen more than 30 years ago.
“Think about water provision. Yes, we are a water-scarce country, but how many people and households have a tap inside their yards?”
The Star