BREAKING NEWS: It’s always one big ‘celebration’ before elections

BRITS – As some of you will remember the old saying of ‘pulling wool over your eyes’ – it has become the norm in today’s political agendas. Seriously, read the news of what is happening on the other side of the railway tracks.

Over the past couple of months the words ‘unity, job creation, better service delivery, no more loadshedding’ – has been thrown around like a deflated ball. Members of the community has laughed at the circus of political parties ‘gaining the votes’ only for some to say it is as always – empty promises.

There is currently massive rally’s going on around South Africa, the likes will disappear like mist in the morning sun once the elections are settled, only the empty food plates and free t-shirts will remain.

As for the ‘acceleration’ of service delivery and all the other issues plaguing multiple communities in South Africa will only return to the groups of protesters infront of Municipal buildings in the future.

Locally, our little town, Brits was overrun yesterday with busses, taxis and ‘free’ yellow t-shirts. “Celebrating under employment in the name of progress.” – one person said. The Brits sports grounds was left in utter filth after the so called ‘celebration’ – with litter covering the whole of the grounds. Twelve municipal workers with two trucks and three bakkies were spotted cleaning the mess the people left behind on Friday morning.

The celebration that was held was of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). The EPWP emerged out of the Growth and Development Summit (GDS) of 2003.

The GDS agreed that the public works programme would ‘provide poverty and income relief through temporary work for the unemployed to carry out socially useful activities – work opportunities namely: Infrastructure, Non-State, Environment & Culture, and Social sectors.

So you get the point of ‘pulling wool over your eyes? – The Madibeng Municipality is notorious for outsourcing their work. With media reports stating bills not paid by the municipality to their contractors for multiple work done. Where is the local poverty stricken community members being provided income and poverty relief aka local job creation?

Contractors traveling from as far as Limpopo and other provinces come and fix the communities service delivery issues. You have to ask yourself then, with all the celebration going on, have you forgot that you won’t get the work you are celebrating for, but someone else will be paid for it instead? So much for the creation of locally sourced job opportunities.

It’s no secret of the horrid conditions our town face, the Wagpos road is a prime example of ‘not my problem’ – with overflowing drains in Elandsrand, potholes on our main and residential roads in Brits and the lack of ‘accelerated’ service delivery in the townships – that is strangely done before the elections and after years of no promises kept? I do hope that after elections is finalized, that the people will start asking, no – demanding the promises that was made during these times.