On a scorching Friday in Churchill, Northern Cape, Richard Itumeleng and Lorato Daphney share a liter of Black Label beer outside their RDP house. With minimal employment opportunities, mostly limited to the government’s Extended Public Works Program (EPWP), residents like them face a bleak reality. Daphney recently secured temporary work with the Electoral Commission of South Africa for upcoming elections, offering a rare chance beyond EPWP or social subsidies. Challenges in Churchill are stark—lack of roads, limited water supply, and mere floodlights for illumination.
Nearby, ANC organizers strategize, despite declining support and rising EFF and DA votes. ANC’s Onalenna Matsioloko remains optimistic about their 2024 win, attributing issues to personal grievances, not party failures. Joe Morolong municipality, where Churchill sits, ranks lowest in governance performance and audit opinions, balancing paradoxically as one of South Africa’s richest and poorest areas. In contrast, nearby Hotazel thrives under the stewardship of mining giant South32, showcasing green, orderly living amid the region’s widespread challenges.
Original Source: Daily Maverick
Date: 2024-04-24 21:20:38
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