Workers carry out early roadworks ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Human Rights Day address on Thursday. Picture: Kamogelo Moichela / IOL
“Temporary” service delivery was under way at Sharpeville in the Vaal as the government and residents prepare to commemorate Human Rights Day.
Road construction was being carried out in the streets of Sharpeville on Wednesday afternoon a preparation to celebrate Human Rights Day. This included garbage bags being packed into trucks and grass being cut on the verges.
Human Rights Day is a national day commemorating the Sharpeville massacre which took place on March 21, 1960. Sixty-nine people were killed while 180 were left wounded.
The residents in the area told IOL that this exercise was temporary and a great way to appear as if government was doing its work.
Potholes have been a long-standing problem yet councillors in the area don’t seem have a solution to solve it.
One of the residents, who did not want to be named, wished that services could be provided to the community daily and not when there was an event about to take place.
“This is only done because the national government and political parties are coming here to celebrate Human Rights Day. If it was not for that then we would still endure the same situation of potholes and other issues,” she said.
She had hopes that as the elections loomed, the ANC as the ruling party would have a chance to rectify their mistakes to avoid embarrassment at the polls.
The 2024 elections will be held on May 29.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to deliver a keynote address at the national commemoration of the event in Sharpeville on Thursday.
He will commence the day with a wreath-laying ceremony scheduled for 10am at the Sharpeville Memorial Site.
In a statement, the presidency said: “Ahead of addressing the national event, the President, joined by bereaved families of fallen victims, will commence with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Sharpeville memorial in honour of the fallen Sharpeville Massacre victims.”
According to the presidency, the day was commemorated to remind “Tintswalo” about the sacrifices that accompanied the struggle for the attainment of democracy in South Africa.
Meanwhile, political parties, ActionSA, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), and the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) have also set up their tents in the area to celebrate the event.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
IOL Politics