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SA's
optimism will survive these protests Gwede Mantashe, Sunday Independent, PRESIDENT
Jacob Zuma has drawn a line under recent violent protests, not least by
appointing a tough police commissioner, Bheki Cele, with a strong track
record
of fighting crime. He has also placed fighting poverty and crime at the
top of
the political agenda and reaffirmed the right of citizens to engage in
peaceful
protest in pursuance of their grievances. It is
because of this renewed sense of hope and empowerment that expectations
have
risen countrywide since the elections in April, and it is why the
annual wage
negotiations and heightened public awareness of the need to make local
government accountable to the people have escalated into what appears
to be a
countrywide protest. People are
angry about the lack of service delivery over the past 15 years and
they have a
right to be. But we must not lose sight of the progress that has been
made with
the provisions of clean water, electricity and housing throughout the
country.
The ANC will not be diverted from its programme to improve the lives of
the poor
even in times of recession. And we will also be at the forefront of
managing
the tensions between rising expectations, which are necessary, and the
constraints imposed on the government by the recession and lower growth
rates,
which are beyond our control. The ANC is
clear that we have more work to do to improve the social conditions of
people
in our country. Perceptions of corruption and favouritism regarding
tenders and
employment frequently underlie the grievances. We see
recent protests as rooted in local issues, rather than reflecting a
national
agenda. Some of the protests have occurred in areas where basic
services have
been delivered. The ANC not only understands the problem but also has
put in
place mechanisms to deal with grievances. Legislation
is being debated that would bar public servants from involvement in
other
business ventures. We have met the residents in most of the affected
areas. In
some areas, new water and sewerage infrastructure can be implemented
only by
moving shack dwellers from land allocated for the projects. This leads
to
anxiety and in the instance of Diepsloot, a high-density community
north of We are
determined to redress the developmental backlog we have inherited. But
it is a
matter of planning and budgeting and cannot be achieved overnight. Our
reality
in The recent
labour strikes are an annual occurrence in our democracy. The ANC
respects the
rights of workers to declare disputes with employers and to strike if
there is
a deadlock. But we condemn in the strongest possible terms the violence
that
has accompanied some of the action. On appointing the new police
commissioner,
President Zuma condemned the violence and insisted that those guilty of
looting, trashing of streets, damaging property and attacks on
individuals be
arrested and charged. The
president has clearly indicated, in his first 100 days in office, his
resolve
to maintain We are also
mindful of the responsibility on our shoulders as a socio-economic
microcosm of
the world: if countries like The
government has made progress in transforming our economy and society
since the
first democratic elections in 1994.
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