Lungani Zungu
Umkhankaso weqembu le-ANC usuzofinyelela ezingeni elisha njengoba behlela ukuwasha izimoto mahhala e-Richmond ngoLwesihlanu ngenhloso yokuthola usizo ezindaweni zokuvota mhla zi-1 kuLwezi.
Ku-Twitter basheshe baveza umbono wabo ngoNgqongqoshe oyedwa baxwayisa bathi: “Qaphelani bafethu, labo bantu bayakwazi ukweba. Susa noma ngabe yini esemotweni yakho.”
Kodwa iqembu le-ANC belicabanga ukuthi lincenga bani njengoba iningi lezakhamuzi kuleli dolobha elinhlwempu e-Midlands bengenazo izimoto nabaningi bengenayo ngisho nemisebenzi. Ngokwezibalo zakamuva, inani labantu base-Richmond lilinganiselwa kubantu abayi-80,000 kanti zingama-40% izingane ezingaphansi kweminyaka eyi-15.
Lesi senzo esingaqondakali, esikhangiswe ngoLwesithathu, asikaze sehle kahle njengoba abantu bendawo bethi bafuna nje izidingo ngqangi kuqala, njengamanzi ahambayo.
“Ngidinga amanzi okupheka, okugeza nokuwasha izingubo zami, kodwa bamatasa ngokumosha amanzi bewasha izimoto bazama ukuthenga amavoti,” kusho uLungile Ndlovu isakhamuzi saseNhlazuka, okuyisigceme sase-Richmond esiqhele cishe ngamakhilomitha angama-80.
UNdlovu, oneminyaka engama-49, usehlale iminyaka engaphezulu kwemine ngaphandle kwamanzi ahambayo.
“I-ANC ihlulekile ukusiza abantu abahlala ezindaweni ezisemakhaya. Ngeke ngibavotele. Bangaziwasha izimoto mahhala, kodwa ngeke balithole ivoti lami,” kusho uNdlovu.
UNdlovu uthe phambilini babethola amanzi ethangini, kodwa lawo manzi abese enqanyulwa ngokuzuma ngaphandle kwencazelo.
“Manje sekumele ngikhokhele abantu abanogandaganda ukuze bangikhelele amanzi emfuleni oseduze,” kusho uNdlovu.
I-Richmond, eyaziwa ngezimpi zayo ezabulala abantu abaningi ngonyaka wezi-1980 kuyela kunyaka wezi-1990, iphethwe nguhulumeni we-ANC okumanje oholwa yiMeya uSamora Ndlovu, owafakwa kuleli dolobha ngonyaka odlule ngemizamo yokulihlenga ekuweni ngesikhathi lifakwa ngaphansi kokuphathwa.
Lo masipala uphenywa ngumnyango wezokubusa ngokubambisana nezindaba zomdabu (i-COGTA) ngezinsolo zokuthi usebenzise imali engaphezu kwezigidi ezi-30 zamarandi ohlelweni obekuhloswe ngalo ukufakela ugesi ezinkulungwaneni zemizi eseduze, kodwa bangakwenza lokho.
Kodwa-ke, uNdlovu uthwale kanzima ngesikhathi engena kulesi sikhundla kanti isinyathelo sakhe sokuwasha izimoto mahhala ngoLwesihlanu sicasule bona laba okumele bavote njengoba inhloso yakhe ukuthola ukwesekwa.
UMuzikayise Mkhize, oneminyaka engama-60 wasepulazini i-Argosy, othembele emthonjeni wamanzi womlimi wendawo, uyilungu lomphakathi elingeneme nhlobo ngalokhu.
Ihlaya leli. Kukhombisa ukuthi i-ANC ayinendaba nathi. Kade sabancenga ukuthi basinikeze amanzi, kodwa behluleka.
“Kunalokho, balokhu besithembisa into engekho,” kusho uMkhize.
UMkhize uthe yena unenhlanhla yokuthi uyawathola amanzi, kodwa kunezakhamuzi zase-KaMakhovuthi eziseduze nabo, ezisadonsa amanzi emfuleni nsuku zonke.
“Abanawo amanzi nhlobo. Baphuza amanzi kanye nezilwane, kodwa i-ANC isebenzisa izinsizakusebenza ezidingeka kakhulu ukuwasha izimoto edolobheni,” kusho uMkhize.
NjengoNdlovu, uMkhize uthe ngeke avote okhethweni oluzayo.
“Angisiboni isidingo sokuvota. Ngoba noma ngabe sizama kangakanani ukususa i-ANC, abanye abantu basazoyivotela.”
Ukunganaki okuvezwe nguMkhize kubonakale nakwezinye izindawo kuwo wonke umkhankaso wokhetho lohulumeni basekhaya ngonyaka wezi-2021 njengoba abavoti abaningi bephakamisa ukuthi yize bebona ukuthi i-ANC ayisalifanele ivoti labo, ayikho enye inhlangano abayibona ingcono.
Umphumela walokhu okwenzekayo kungenzeka uholele komasipala abaningi abaholwa ngokubambisana kanye nohulumeni ezweni lonke.