Free State residents divided on Zuma
2012-12-15 14:51
Bloemfontein - Free State residents were divided over how
they felt about President Jacob Zuma, ahead of the ANC's national conference
being held in the province.
Smanga Mathe, 20, who was handing out flyers for Makro at a
traffic light on Saturday said he wanted Zuma to remain president of the
African National Congress.
"I like Jacob, because he helps the young people with
grants and the old people with pensions," he said.
"He also helps the youth in terms of education."
'Zuma is a good guy'
Mathe said the ANC would make sure that it found a way to
help South Africans escape poverty and unemployment.
"What they will discuss there [at the conference] will
help me. The ANC looks out for the people."
Itebogeng Tshwepang, 28, who said he worked for a
"private sector company" agreed with Mathe.
"Zuma is a good guy. He is the people's guy," he
said while sitting at the roadside, waiting for a taxi.
He said the country could not have been left in "better
hands".
"Things have changed since the ANC has been in charge.
I was unemployed, but now I have a job.
"If the ANC was not in power, I would not be able to
sit here and wait for my taxi," he said gesturing to the pavement.
However, William Matsekane, 32, a Fidelity security guard
who would be working as a guard at the conference, said he was disappointed by
Zuma, and wanted him to be replaced by Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe.
"Honestly I don’t want him [Zuma] to stay at the top of
the ANC," he said.
"I would not vote for him for president [of South
Africa] again.
Everything he touches or says - no good things come from it.
I don’t even listen to his speeches anymore."
He said the ANC's policy commissions would be a
"disaster".
"Whatever they talk about won't be implemented. They
are just talking," Matsekane said.
"They are going to promise things, but they are
lying."
Julia Nkgwedi, 33, who worked as a cashier at an Engen
garage said Zuma was a "good president" but he did not deserve a
second term.
Service delivery
She also lamented the state of the ANC’s service delivery.
"Since we were small, we have been brought up with the
ANC," she said.
"There are many things that have not been done - there
are still people who live in shacks and they have been waiting for 15 years for
RDP houses. He [Zuma] said the youth would get jobs, but they haven't."
She said expelled ANC Youth League president Julius Malema
would return to the party to usher in a "change in the ANC".
"If Zuma is president, we will not vote in the
elections. We will wait for Julius to come back, so that he can be president of
the ANC," she said.
"He will be back. He is good because he has that
element about him, you know? He keeps the ANC on its toes."
The conference is scheduled to start on Sunday. The party’s
top six officials, as well as the national executive committee members would be
elected by delegates over the course of the week.
- Are you there? Send us your eyewitness accounts and photos.
- SAPA
