Cape Town is regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with tourists flocking from all over the globe to enjoy the picturesque views and beaches.
Just a stone’s throw away from the lush suburbs of Somerset West, you find Khayelitsha, which has become a breeding- ground for crime, unemployment, and a forgotten community.
Shacks have been built in a disorderly manner in the township, meaning the residents have no yards. The sewerage problems persist because of the influx of informal settlements, which have plagued the area.
Residents share communal bathrooms while they face uncertainty regarding electricity supply.
Ayanda Makeleni makes a living from transporting furniture in the community. His bakkie, an old Isuzu, has the abbreviation “Cosas” plastered on its windscreen. As a former member of the Congress of South African Students, he feels betrayed by the ANC.
“There is no difference between whether it is DA or ANC running things here. The DA fixes the town and, for example, go to Mitchell’s Plain, it’s 100% better [compared to Khayelitsha].
ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa’s presence in one of the poorest areas in Cape Town does not even evoke any hope for a better future, as far as Makeleni is concerned.
Ramaphosa delivered the ANC’s January 8 statement at the Mandela Park Stadium on Saturday for the party’s 113th anniversary.
“We do not have to go to the stadium [to see Ramaphosa], because there is no change. We are not excited about that because we know he’s going to come here and then leave.
“The municipality has been cleaning the area around the stadium but we know things will go back to normal after this. It is a dumping site”. The angry Khayelitsha resident also lamented the DA’s lack of service delivery.
“The government is not helping us. Potholes, everything is f*cked up. I have been here since 1993 but there is no difference. What we are facing are potholes, poor drainage and robbery. This week we had two robberies but the police station is at the back,” he said.
Twenty-two-year-old Boanerges Dumba spoke about the unemployment which the youth faces. “We are unemployed, so we sell herbs, peanuts and fruits. We are also looking for better opportunities. We plant veggies to eat.
“Khayelitsha is a good place, but the government is not taking care of us. We have been voting and our parents have been voting, they have been making many promises without action. I heard that he will be here; I voted for the ANC but our vote has not been helping,” he reiterated.
Ntombikayise Sogiba, a mother of two, solely lives off grant money from the state. She feels bleak about the future, due to the protracted unemployment crisis in the country. “I have two kids but there is no one who works. My kids are young, so we are living off their grant money. I will go and listen to the president. I don’t know whether the president will assist. We want to see change where we are staying.”
The ANC has stated its intentions to woo Western Cape voters and dethrone the DA as the majority party in Western Cape.
Leading up to the ANC’s celebrations, Ramaphosa reiterated the need to rebuild ANC structures in the province.
In the 2024 national and provincial elections, the ANC received only 19,55% of the vote in the province. The DA stands at 55, 30% in the province.
