ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday questioned his team on whether the homes he was made to visit during his door-to-door in Rustenburg were not told what to say to him prior to his arrival.<\/p>\n
Although he said it in jest, Ramaphosa \u2013 confronted with reality and true dire state of affairs in Boitekong, Rustenburg \u2013 was confused that every home he visited, residents sang praises of the ANC and its ward councillor.<\/p>\n
As Ramaphosa entered the third home, a shack in ward 21,he stopped the ward councillor Thabang Rampou at the gate and asked if the residents were not briefed in advance.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou organised these people wena [you]; ke batho ba gago [they are your people],\u201d he told the councillor.<\/p>\n
Rampou responded by telling Ramaphosa it was not the case. Laughing, Ramaphosa then said: \u201cOkay, ne kere go etsagala something [I thought something was up]\u201d.<\/p>\n
Ramaphosa\u2019s concern, although in jest, was as a result of being confronted with the dire state of affairs in the North West since his arrival for the party\u2019s January 8 birthday celebrations this weekend.<\/p>\n
From potholes of all sizes and uneven and bumpy roads to housing and water crises, Boitekong residents painted the grim picture to Ramaphosa, who would have also witnessed this reality.<\/p>\n
So bad is the situation in Boitekong that Ramaphosa, probably for safety reasons, was flown in and out of the area in a white military chopper that waited for him a few kilometres away in a makeshift landing strip.<\/p>\n
The president, following his door-to-door visits, sang praises of Rampou, one of the ANC\u2019s young councillors, who ward 21 residents said was doing a good job.<\/p>\n
Ramaphosa was told Rampou had been an exemplary councillor who took it upon himself to take interest in issues affecting his community.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe went into a few houses here in ward 21; we were with branch leaders here. We met with a young man of 34 years called Thabang… as we walked with him, we heard he is working,\u201d Ramaphosa said to applause from the community during the cake-cutting ceremony.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe had been telling us that he is working, but I listened with just one ear because I thought he was pulling wool over our eyes. But as we went into the different houses, it was they who then told us of the work that this branch is doing under the leadership of this young man called Thabang.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ramaphosa said this was the kind of leadership the ANC will look for when they select candidate councillors ahead of the local government elections later this year.<\/p>\n