Chris Gill|Published
ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa took his election campaign to Khayelitsha on Sunday, calling on men to help end gender-based violence and highlighting education and youth training, while taxi industry leaders pressed him to intervene over rising fuel prices and disputes with the City of Cape Town.
Ramaphosa visited the township as part of his two-day campaign trail in Cape Town, stopping first at OR Tambo Hall, where he addressed a packed gathering of congregants from the Salvation Church of the Revival of Faith.
He told the congregation that the upcoming elections were an opportunity for South Africans to reflect on the country’s progress and urged young people to take responsibility for its future.
“They are a moment for us to sit back and look at what has been happening in our country. As we approach these elections, we should recognize that this is an important moment in the life of our nation, and that is why we are saying, and we keep saying to young people: as young people, you must take into your hands the future of our country.”
Ramaphosa highlights education and youth training
Ramaphosa highlighted the ANC’s record in government, saying it had enabled more young people to access universities and colleges.
“We have spent R54 billion supporting these students. But we are going beyond that. We want young people to acquire practical, meaningful skills that will prepare them for the world of work. That is why we established the Presidential Employment and Training Stimulus, which provides young people with opportunities to gain valuable work experience,” Ramaphosa said as the crowd applauded.
He said the initiatives had reached more than two million young people.
“Our goal is to equip them with the skills they need to participate meaningfully in our economy and contribute to its growth. We recognise that our economy has not been growing at the pace we would like,” he said.
Ramaphosa also urged parents to ensure their children remained in school, including young women who fell pregnant.
“Even if a young woman falls pregnant. After they have given birth, they must go back to school. With an education, our young people stand a better chance of improving their lives. Take interest in the education of your children,” he said.
President calls on men to fight gender-based violence
Addressing gender-based violence (GBV), Ramaphosa called on men to take the lead in tackling the abuse of women.
“Stop abusing and raping the women of South Africa. I say this as a message across. The men of our country must be the ones leading the campaign of getting rid of the abuse of our women, the raping and assault targeted at them. Men must be at the forefront,” he said.
He also highlighted the role of religious institutions in addressing social challenges.
“Your church has an important role to play in the life of our country today, to ensure that it puts the message across to our people so that they can understand precisely where our country is going.”
Ramaphosa said the ANC was moving with greater confidence following a Constitutional Court ruling on candidates whose names had previously not been accepted.
“Now we are saying to those candidates, as you get elected, we want you to commit yourself to work for our people,” he said.
Taxi industry asks Ramaphosa to intervene
At the Site C taxi rank, CODETA chairperson Nceba Enge called on Ramaphosa to intervene in the organisation’s dispute with the City of Cape Town.
“In 2023 we fought successfully against bylaws that were introduced by the City of Cape Town. But they are determined to make our lives difficult. Our taxis get impounded as the City pleases. We need the ANC to assist us in fighting these issues,” Enge said.
He also raised concerns about rising petrol prices, saying the increases affected taxi operators and placed a burden on commuters.
“Please look into the issue of fuel costs, so that we can ease the burden on the people as we approach the festive season,” Enge said.
ANC leaders urge voters to decide
ANC caucus leader and Dullah Omar regional chairperson Ndithini Tyhido said Ramaphosa’s visit was aimed at consolidating the party’s election campaign in Cape Town.
“We have been down and out, running from shack to shack and in each and every street corner. We have been asking the people of Cape Town to help us unsit the Democratic Alliance. The DA has been a pain to the lives of the people in Cape Town,” Tyhido told IOL Media while Ramaphosa addressed commuters and the taxi industry at the Site C taxi rank.
Tyhido criticised the City’s service delivery, saying inequality was evident across Cape Town.
“The DA has been discriminating against our people when it comes to service delivery. The reality of the tale of two cities in Cape Town you just see by the change of weather. Once it rains, the mood changes. The way of living changes with the weather in Cape Town.”
He said residents had responded positively to the ANC’s campaign.
“We will leave everything in the hands of the voter,” Tyhido said.
Ward 96 ANC councillor candidate Lucky Mbiza said many residents in Khayelitsha faced sewage problems. He also raised concerns about electricity outages, saying some communities had gone as long as three months without power.
“We would like the President to intervene on that. Because residents put the blame on us as councillors, and not the DA,” Mbiza said.
He accused the DA of bullying informal communities in Cape Town and urged residents to vote in large numbers.
“People must be serious and go vote in numbers. Let's make these upcoming elections be like those of 1994. The DA government is corrupt but many people cannot see it.”