Cry my beloved Gcilima

Mini-me (my two-year-old daughter) Naledi visits my birthplace, Gcilima. Picture: Cedric Mboyisa


A recent visit to my rural village of Gcilima in KwaZulu-Natal had me wondering whether the ruling party’s “better life for all” war cry really applies to everyone.

In my interaction with various sectors of this community on my academic project to establish a local radio station there, the respondents were unequivocal in saying that little, if not too little, development had taken place.

From pupils to housewives, from the youth to the elders, the common response was “ayikho intuthuko kulendawo” (There is no development in this place).

Oh, by the way, these people cannot be dismissed as whinging supporters of opposition parties who are on a mission to portray the ruling party in a bad light ahead of the 2011 local elections. In fact, Gcilima is predominantly an ANC area as evidenced by the two local wards that are held by the ruling party. Of course, there are Inkatha Freedom Party supporters in Gcilima and surrounding areas.

In my conversation with two local ANC Youth League leaders, they also expressed their serious concerns at the snail’s pace of service delivery in Gcilima. They admitted that their party had failed in properly addressing the socioeconomic issues in the area. You can see the pain and frustration in their faces as they related Gcilima’s sad story of non-development and non-service delivery.

They were brutally honest and frank, telling me that local councillors (not necessarily the current ones, but in general) would say there is development in Gcilima because they drive fancy cars and live in opulence. This is while ordinary folk fight a losing battle against poverty, the seemingly invincible enemy here.

Local folk would tell me that they were never involved in the process of selecting their “imposed” local representatives. Hence, they complain, there is minimal interaction with the councillors who are tasked with improving their lives.

A highly educated relative of mine and others tell me that nepotism and connections reign supreme if you want employment in local municipalities. A visit to Hibiscus Coast Municipality, one of the local authorities, left a nasty taste in the mouth… the aura of arrogance was palpable!

Needless to say, my trip to the municipality offices was futile as I left without getting the help I needed. This was despite having notified them in advance about my visit.

It would appear that those in authority think they are doing the public a favour. What they are forgetting is that the public put them in those positions in the first place. So their duty is to serve the public with diligence and selflessness. Local councillors must not view themselves as celebrities who live the high life while the public (who are, in fact, their bosses) starve.

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe is right when saying, “We must refuse to accept that getting elected to a position of influence is a licence for personal wealth accumulation.”

Local government is an indispensable sphere of government. While the province system may be done away with some day, local authorities will always be at the forefront of ensuring service delivery and development for rural villages such as Gcilima. People are crying out for real development. A better life for all can’t be the preserve of the likes of Cyril Ramaphosa, Saki Macozoma and the ANC-connected elite. The masses are tired of being messed with.

Cedric Mboyisa is political editor of The Citizen. This column first appeared in The Citizen Newspaper.