‘The demand is massive’: Lesufi defends ANC record on service delivery ahead of manifesto launch

ANC Gauteng provincial convener Panyaza Lesufi has acknowledged that the party needs to improve service delivery.

ANC Gauteng provincial convener Panyaza Lesufi has admitted that the party has to do better on service delivery, but insists the party has delivered roads, schools, clinics and hospitals.

However, he acknowledged that the government had underestimated the demand for services, saying Gauteng was dealing with extensive migration that had not been properly managed

The African National Congress is expected to launch its election manifesto at Riverside Park near Diepsloot on Sunday, with party leader Cyril Ramaphosa expected to deliver the address.

With the local government elections less than three months away, the manifesto is expected to outline the party's plans for local governance, service delivery, economic development and community upliftment.

On Saturday, the ANC announced finalists for potential mayoral nominees for the upcoming local government elections in metros and municipalities.

The party was initially expected to unveil its mayoral candidates, but instead announced potential candidates for various leadership positions.

Speaking to Newzroom Afrika on Sunday about the manifesto launch and who the party was targeting, Lesufi said the ANC faced a difficult challenge because voters had different expectations.

"My research indicates that we are an unfortunate party. Very unfortunate," he said.

“ Somebody who does not have a house says, 'I'm not going to vote for you because I don't have a house.' And the one that has a house says, 'I'm not going to vote for you because I don't have a job.' And the one that has a job says, 'I'm not going to vote for you because I've not taken my child to NSFAS at the university.'

“The one that has NSFAS says, 'NSFAS is taking too long to pay.' The one that doesn't get NSFAS says, 'This street is full of potholes. I don't have electricity.' So we have this moving target."

Lesufi said the ANC needed to communicate more effectively about its broader development agenda.

"If we can master how to communicate to ensure that it's no longer about individual interest but the collective development of society and collective development of protecting the budget of municipalities, I think our people understand," he said.

"Surely, we have to push people to go out and vote. Surely, we also have to indicate the other side. And that's the reason why we're here. To say there might be potholes. There might be areas where rubbish is not collected. But see the development that we've made, especially in the Brima side, where the rich and the poor can stay in the same place, where the rich and poor can walk to an industrial area.