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- President Cyril Ramaphosa will engage with residents, community-based organisations, and businesses in the Cape Winelands District Municipality on Friday.
- The DA in the Western Cape says the planned presidential imbizo is an electioneering ploy by the ANC.
- The ANC in the province has rubbished the claim, calling it childish.
President Cyril Ramaphosa's presidential imbizo, set to take place in the Cape Winelands on Friday, has drawn sharp criticism from the DA in the Western Cape who accused the president of using it as an electioneering ploy.
The imbizo provides a platform for the president to engage with communities on service delivery by the government and other issues that affect their daily lives.
Ramaphosa's scheduled visit has, however, drawn the ire of the DA.
Its chief whip in the provincial legislature, Wendy Kaizer-Philander, said it was nothing but an electioneering ploy by the ruling party.
"Unable to provide any clear leadership to the country, President Ramaphosa has done the only thing that he is capable of - using state resources to go on PR roadshows and talk shops - all as the country sits in darkness.
"The people of the Western Cape see through the ANC's charade," she said.
Kaizer-Philander added at a time of economic downturn and rolling blackouts, communities did not want empty promises - they wanted leaders with a strong track record of service delivery, fulfilment of mandates, and real change.
She said:
Hitting back, ANC MPL Gladys Baku-Baku Vos added the party noted the "childish" comments by the DA.
"This is not a party-political event. The president is hosting imbizos across the country in various districts.
"We support cooperative governance across all three spheres of government. This can only benefit the people of the Boland, in particular, and the province.
"The 'blame and complain' politics of the DA must be rejected. Their stance is actually affecting our communities negatively," she said.
Ramaphosa is expected to engage with residents, community-based organisations, and businesses in the Cape Winelands District Municipality on Friday.
The municipality includes agricultural, industrial and tourism assets around towns such as Stellenbosch, Paarl, Worcester, Tulbagh, Robertson, and Montagu.
Ramaphosa will be accompanied by various ministers, including Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel, as well as Premier Alan Winde, MPLs and district leadership.
