"WE are the poorest province in the country. The government has failed us because our service delivery is too little. In fact, it's like we don't exist."
These were the words of Eastern Cape community leaders, who had visited the Union Buildings hoping to hand over a memorandum of demand of their grievances to the Presidency on 1 December 2023.
The residents said every year, they pleaded to have similar grievances addressed but ever nothing happened.
Leonard Ncumbese, the founder of National Community Dialogues, said they were representing Eastern Cape communities because of service delivery.
"We don't have roads, bridges, drinking water and our people are struggling. For the past five years they have been having trophy taps as no water coming out," he said.
He said they were pleading with the Office of the Presidency to intervene because even pupils were affected when it rained.
“When it rains learners there will even spend the whole week not going to school. Many villages are suffering. We sometime carry coffins to cross the river," he said.
Ncumbese said they were giving the Presidency 14 days to respond.
He said the national government, local government and municipality were aware of their struggles, adding that they had suffered enough.
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"Our community are even building their own bridges. We are neglected by our own leaders," he said.
He said some residents were angry with the IEC as they thought it was in charge of service delivery.
"Our plea is for Ramaphosa to help us fix our province," said Ncumbese.
Zweli Nkomana concerned community member from Cofimvaba said that they want service delivery. "We are ignored by the authorities when we raise our daily concerns," he said.
Malibuye Mafentile from Mthingwevu village in Cofimvaba said: "The government must listen to our demands. Bad roads affects us a lot." Community member and President of Nqamakwe Parliament, Mthobeli Ndleleni said: "This is heartbreaking. It's very bad in our villages. We only have electricity. We don't have jobs. I'm bleeding right now because of the poor state of our area."
Eastern Cape premier's spokesman, Yanga Funani, said the department of transport was working hard to repair bridges that were affected by disasters which struck the province earlier in the year.
"We are also working with the military on installing bridges. Access to clean water in the Eastern Cape is at 71% and households that remain without access to clean water are in rural areas," he said.
Funani said this was why the province had focused its attention in implementing a number of water infrastructure projects in rural communities.
"In August, the province together with the Amathole District launched a R500 million project which will benefit people of Tsomo and surrounding areas. In September, the province launched a R576 million water project in Elliotdale which will benefit 66 000 people in and around Elliotdale. Construction of the Umzimvubu Water Project is underway, and it will provide water to 750 000 people. So there is work happening," said Funani.
