Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Gauteng MEC for Social Development, Agriculture, and Environment, Mbali Hlophe at the Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto on Sunday. – Photo – GautengProvince/Twitter
By Simamkele Njo
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have criticized the waste management and food security programs that were introduced for Gauteng townships by Premier Panyaza Lesufi over the weekend.
The party has alleged that Lesufi is using the government’s job creation initiative to strengthen the ANC’s election strategy for the 2024 general elections. The EFF claims the Expanded Public Works Programme (EWP) has been used to establish a clean-up and food security campaign with the sole aim of absorbing ANC election volunteers.
On Sunday, the program was launched by Lesufi and Mbali Hlophe, who is the Gauteng Social Development, Agriculture, and Environment MEC, at the Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto.
According to Lesufi, the government is taking action against littering and illegal dumping in Gauteng by focusing on townships, informal settlements, and hostels. These areas are particularly vulnerable to harmful waste and environmental damage. He also said the program aims to address food insecurity at the household level due to the ongoing unemployment crisis in the province.
“Through this programme, 6 000 temporary work opportunities have been created for unemployed community members to embark on cleaning and greening activities. The provincial government will continue to provide environmental management support which is called the Townships, Informal Settlements and Hostels, (TISH). We provide this support to communities through the Bontle ke Botho (BKB) sustainable clean-ups and greening initiatives to enhance human dignity as well as instilling pride in communities,” reads the Gauteng government media statement.
The initiative, according to the premier, also serves as a job creation drive; “If we fail to provide jobs for our people, then the future of this country is bleak,” said Lesufi.
He also said the “Green Army,” as he referred to the workforce, will conduct clean-ups of illegal dumping and litter-picking, and fix potholes in townships.
However, the EFF would not hear of it. Nkululeko Dunga, the EFF provincial chairman, issued a statement this week saying state resources were being misused by the Gauteng Premier to hire over 1,600 volunteers of the ANC recruited into this programme without following proper recruitment procedures. News24 quotes him as saying; “municipal human resources processes and procedures were disregarded”.
In what appears to be a politically charged attack, Dunga said South Africans should vote for EFF, as he believes the political party would lead them out of misery and the ANC will no longer abuse its supporters. He called Lesufi’s efforts a publicity stunt done by the ANC, saying it was to keep support and stop the inevitable at the general elections.
“No amount of system manipulation will enable them to resume ruling the people they have abused for a long time. The ANC has been exposed,” Dunga fumed, adding that communities knew how to care for their environment and needed effective and sustainable refuse collection services.
He claimed that the use of state resources for electioneering was evidence that the former liberation movement has reached the end of its useful life.
Lesufi has poured cold water over Dunga’s claims calling his bluff saying, “The ones who accused us must give us the evidence”.
Additional reporting by The Citizen and News24.