After an early morning walk, hospital and clinic visits, and housing promises, the ANC has resolved to a “title deed Friday”.
Ramaphosa led a team of government officials to Tswelopele informal settlement in Tembisa, Ekurhuleni, to launch the Thuma Mina campaign.
Flanked by Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and Gauteng Premier David Makhura, President Cyril Ramaphosa embarked on a morning walk.
The ANC said the Thuma Mina campaign was to ensure service delivery in the community, to which Ramaphosa promised the introduction of electricity will be the first priority in Tembisa.
“When I leave here I will give Eskom a call and ask why there isn’t electricity here,” said Ramaphosa addressing the residents.
With him was Gauteng Premier David Makhura, Ekurhuleni Mayor Mzwandile Masina and ANC head of elections Fikile Mbalula.
Community meeting eThembisa #ThumaMina pic.twitter.com/uuOYO5hpz8
— ANC Elections Head ( Chief ) (@MbalulaFikile) May 18, 2018
Ramaphosa added that he will sit down with the mayor, Masina, to sort issues of housing. The residents then booed their mayor.
Later the ANC handed out titled deeds to some residents in the area and announced the beginning of “title deed Friday”.
“Every Friday, we’ve got title deed Friday, we give people title deeds until such time everybody has a security of tenure,” said Masina, addressing the residents of the Tembisa township.
MMC of Human Settlements in Ekurhuleni, Lesiba Mpye, announced that 2232 title deeds will be handed over to new owners.
@CyrilRamaphosa: every Friday from now is #TitleDeedFriday. Says this is to restore dignity and tenure security. In the past only whites were given TitleDeeds and blacks only permits. Says it’s part of promise towards land expropriation to correct past injustice #Sabcnews pic.twitter.com/pdXKZKOPcB
— Nthakoana Ngatane (@nthakoana) May 18, 2018
And the first title deed goes to....#ThumaMina pic.twitter.com/ajWsJLR4ce
— Hlengiwe Nhlabathi (@Hlengi) May 18, 2018
Makhura said, “We also want to release land, vast tracts of land to people who can build houses for themselves ... We are going to start it in Ekurhuleni because Ekurhuleni is ready, we are going to make land available.”
Ramaphosa told the residents that there are almost half a million titles deeds that are yet to be given out in Gauteng. “Now these titles deeds comrades [are] part of the land reform project that the governing party has embarked upon.
"The land reform project is that we should restore dignity to our people, we should undo the ravages of apartheid,” said Ramaphosa.
“By giving you the title deed that now begins to get the process of storing wealth in your family, in your household, in yourself because that is the wealth you are nor storing as part of your family,” said Ramaphosa.
“If you haven’t received your title deed today know that it’s on its way ... this is the service delivery we are speaking about,” said Ramaphosa.
RT @SthembileCel: #ThumaMina Malusi Gigaba interacting with community members. Young men have told him they desperately need jobs pic.twitter.com/f9hjxvbxIW
— City Press Online (@City_Press) May 18, 2018
Other ANC members who joined the Thuma Mina campaigne were ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule who visited the Goba Clinic in Ekurhuleni and ANC NEC members Malusi Gigaba and Senzo mchunu who were at the Tsakane Township in the same area.
On Friday evening Ramaphosa addressed the Tembisa residents at the Makhulong Stadium. The events of the Thuma Mina campaign continue.