JOHANNESBURG – Joburg Mayor Herman Mashaba has accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of hijacking the grievances of community members in Alexandra ahead of the elections.
The protest-hit township was brought to a standstill this week with demonstrators demanding better service delivery.
While on a campaign trail in Diepsloot on Thursday, Ramaphosa said that the Democratic Alliance-led local government in Alexandra is best suited to attend to residents’ demands.
But Mashaba has hit back, claiming that his efforts to meet with the community are being hampered by African National Congress (ANC) leaders in Alexandra, whom he alleges are trying to score political points.
His spokesperson Luyanda Mfeka said: “We can recognize the political manoeuvring of the ANC as part of their election drive but that doesn’t mean we are unwilling to be unresponsive to the people of that community. That is something that we are open to as we are more than willing to engage with those people.”
