Thousands of RISE Mzansi supporters march for service delivery in Cape Town
Thousands of RISE Mzansi supporters march for service delivery in Cape Town
Cape Town - With less than a week to go before the May 29 elections, thousands of RISE Mzansi supporters marched to the Western Cape Legislature yesterday to demand better service delivery across the metro.
The march was led by Axolile Notywala, RISE Mzansi’s Western Cape premier candidate, and national leader Songezo Zibi, who urged his supporters to vote for the party.
South Africa - Cape Town - 22 May 2024 - RISE Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi and Western Cape Premier Candidate Axolile Notywala. Thousands of RISE Mzansi supporters marched down Hanover Street in Cape Town to the Western Cape provincial legislature on Wednesday to demand services for black and coloured communities. The DA-led government has been accused of concentrating on white suburbs while blacks and coloureds live in squalor in Cape Town. Photographer: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers
Zibi denied the march was an electioneering tactic and that it was their final push to garner support in the Western Cape.
He said they have been hosting marches across the country and there is nothing special about the Western Cape.
“It’s no different from Nelson Mandela Bay. What do I mean by that? There are a lot of people who are unemployed. There are a lot of people that live in shacks, without access to basic services.
“The Western Cape is not really a special focus for us in that way. We’re highlighting the same issues across all the metros and in other cities. And I think we do need to be quite strident and say that we’re not treating the Western Cape as a special case,” said Zibi.
South Africa - Cape Town - 22 May 2024 - Thousands of RISE Mzansi supporters marched down Hanover Street in Cape Town to the Western Cape provincial legislature on Wednesday to demand services for black and coloured communities. The DA-led government has been accused of concentrating on white suburbs while blacks and coloureds live in squalor in Cape Town. Photographer: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers
Nkosikhona Swaartbooi, co-ordinator of the march, said they organised the gathering to follow up on the memorandum they sent to the Western Cape government in April.
“The province hasn’t yet responded to those demands. We are calling on them to take accountability and improve service delivery in the province,” said Swaartbooi.
RISE Mzansi also said the march was for the Western Cape candidates for the Legislature and the National Assembly to publicly sign its People’s Contract ahead of the elections.
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde’s spokesperson, Regan Thaw, said they have no comment about RISE Mzansi’s march.
South Africa - Cape Town - 22 May 2024 - Thousands of RISE Mzansi supporters marched down Hanover Street in Cape Town to the Western Cape provincial legislature on Wednesday to demand services for black and coloured communities. The DA-led government has been accused of concentrating on white suburbs while blacks and coloureds live in squalor in Cape Town. Photographer: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers
The party was founded in April 2023 and is led by Zibi, a former newspaper editor and co-founder of the Rivonia Circle think tank.
Cape Argus