This report from City Press, 4 August 2024.

City Press reports that following the opening of the Eastern Cape legislature in Ntabankulu, a rural town nearly six hours away from the provincial legislature in Bhisho, Premier Oscar Mabuyane faced criticism from opposition and local residents who asserted that the province was better off during apartheid, which ended in 1994.

Mabuyane officially opened the legislature on Thursday, 1 August 2024, in Ntabankulu, in the Alfred Nzo District Municipality, which has recently begun constructing an agricultural college featuring a cannabis processing facility. An R80 million budget has been allocated for the first phase of the Agricultural College Campus, and construction is currently under way.

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However, the road leading to the town is plagued with potholes, which are sometimes patched only when the town hosts government events, such as the recent opening by the premier or visits from national government officials. Unfortunately, after heavy rains, the potholes reappear.

In some villages, such as Mkhumbeni, residents face severe challenges. Village men are often seen carrying dead and sick people on their shoulders using makeshift stretchers, crossing the Mzintlava River to reach mortuaries or hospitals in Flagstaff or Lusikisiki, the nearest towns. The lack of proper roads means that ambulances and hearses cannot access these villages.

Zukisa Solo, a local resident, criticised the state of infrastructure in the province, pointing to the deteriorating conditions of schools, hospitals, dams, recreation centres and telecommunications.

He accused the ANC of inaction despite being the governing party for 30 years and noted the high salaries of Mabuyane and his MECs, contrasting them with the poor living conditions of ordinary people.

"Take a close look at how East London, Port Elizabeth, Makhanda and other municipalities are," he said.

It's like cities that are abandoned. The Eastern Cape is full of incompetent ANC cadres who do not work for the people.

"Instead, its public officials, who ascend to power with no development capacity only to fill their pockets with higher salaries while people, the voters, are suffering. Many families lack food due to unemployment," Solo continued.

He emphasised that schools and education in many districts of the Eastern Cape, under the EC department of education, were in ruins with no telecommunications infrastructure like Wi-Fi and internet.

"There's corruption in scholar transport and feeding schemes and no toilets for kids. Again, there is a lack of public infrastructure in rural communities and a lack of rural development," Solo added.

He highlighted the dangers children face crossing rivers and valleys to attend school, while the children of MECs, including the premier's, attend private luxury schools.

Phakamile Manimani, another resident, commented that the province was worse off than it was before 1994.

"Roads, clinics, shops and hospitals were far superior back then compared to now," he said.

"When you see a hospital today, it looks more like a farm, with only the cows missing."

Yusuf Cassim, a DA MPL and the official opposition in the province, criticised the state of the province address (Sopa), calling it a waste of money. He argued that not only was the premier wasting money the province did not have, but he had also effectively prevented any governmental oversight, as no portfolio committees could sit until after the first Sopa.

“Internal Question Papers, a vital tool in holding departments to account, have also been stalled, as no questions can be submitted until the first session of the new term begins, which is after the Sopa,” Cassim said.

He noted that Mabuyane advocated for cost-cutting measures across government departments throughout his previous term in office, “yet still sees fit to waste millions on an event while there is a more than suitable venue already at his disposal.”

Cassim added that the DA strongly opposed the unnecessary financial burden these extravagant  state of the province addresses place on the province.

The funds expended on these events could be better utilised to address pressing needs within the province, such as improving healthcare, education and infrastructure.

Although the money spent on the recent Sopa has not been divulged, the DA has vowed to find out. Cassim has written to the secretary of the legislature, Nomawethu Ngcakani, requesting a detailed breakdown of the costs associated with the Sopa event.

The EFF in the province said Mabuyane’s speech was a copy-and-paste job, reminding them of “how out of touch with reality the ruling government is with the province.”

Zilindile Vena, the provincial chairperson of the EFF, said the speech lacked an in-depth understanding of the socioeconomic conditions people faced, focusing instead on the private sector and its “neoliberal policies” that he said continued to impoverish the people of the province.

“They have failed to improve the quality of life for our people,” Vena said, adding that there was clear evidence of a leadership crisis within the ANC.

Meanwhile, Mabuyane, in his address, committed to working with all ministers in the government of national unity (GNU) to expedite development in the province for the benefit of its people. He quoted Nelson Mandela, saying: “There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”

Mabuyane said:

"Translating Tata Madiba’s words into action, we envision an Eastern Cape characterised by a thriving economy that creates jobs, robust infrastructure development, and an improved quality of life for our people."

Highlighting some government achievements, he said: “A few years ago, Sipethu Hospital here in Ntabankulu was in a dilapidated state. This government rebuilt it into a state-of-the-art facility, now providing nearly 100,000 people with access to quality healthcare services.”

He continued: “Out of the 100 new schools we built in the past five years, 20 are in Alfred Nzo District. These schools accommodate more than 8300 learners, offering modern amenities such as computer rooms, science centres, libraries, and good governance in the Eastern Cape.”

Mabuyane defended the approach, stating that social cohesion cannot be measured in monetary terms and emphasising the importance of rural development.

Speaking to City Press, Mabuyane explained that he is bringing government activities to the rural town to ensure that SMMEs in the rural villages benefit.

He said:" If this is viewed as a waste of money by the opposition parties, then they really don’t represent the people of the Eastern Cape in that legislature. That’s unfortunate and preposterous."

Mabuyane emphasised that social cohesion cannot be measured in rands and cents.

"The programme was held in a public facility. This practical approach is about internalising rural development," he said.

"History was made. People must get used to this approach. Government is not about comfort zones,” he added.

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