By Teboho Moloi
QWAQWA — The Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) in the Free State has blamed the total collapse of service delivery in the struggling Maluti-A-Phofung Local Municipality on the ANC’s cadre deployment policy.
PAC Free State spokesperson Mababane Tsotetsi said the municipality has remained stagnant for years, with no service delivery, and the blame must fall squarely on the ruling party which has held majority power since the dawn of democracy.
“The ANC did not think deeply when it implemented cadre deployment. People were deployed to lead portfolios without experience, without skills, without qualifications,” Tsotetsi said.
He said the policy was abused to its core — with ANC leaders handpicking who gets hired for critical operational and administrative posts that require qualified and experienced professionals.
“The ANC expanded its policy to only hire card-carrying members, even those who do not meet the requirements, to fill essential posts,” he charged.
Tsotetsi said the looting of municipal budgets and manipulation of the tender system had finished off what was left of service delivery.
“Many people did not benefit from the tender system. Democracy advocates for the majority, but only a few in the ruling party benefited. That is why municipalities are in this poor state,” he said.
He said the ANC has become too comfortable in power and no longer respects voters.
“We are seriously concerned about the political landscape. The ANC has been in a comfort zone for too long. Perhaps it is time for voters to cast their votes differently. There are various political organisations voters can trust,” Tsotetsi said.
He said the warning signs were always there.
“The way they have been so long in the comfort zone, they have forgotten about the people and the mandate given to them. They have even forgotten to register some of their own candidates for the upcoming local government elections,” he said.
