SANCO must reclaim its intermediary role

Letters to the Editor

In recent history, South Africa has experienced a spate of violent service delivery protests which are characterised by hooliganism and vandalism. Constitutional mandate of South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) is to play an intermediary role between communities and their immediate sphere of government. Under normal circumstances, Sanco must be in constant interaction with the communities from which it operates and advise councillors and mayors of residents’afflictions.

Lately, we witness anarchists declaring themselves community leaders and exploiting legitimate community concerns to pursue egotistic personal interest at the expense of unsuspecting communities. These protests often turn out to be looting-sprees than water and electricity protests that they purport to be. Municipalities are under siege from anarchists masquerading as social activists whose mission is to turn our communities into battle grounds with the police.

Sanco has just come back from an elective national conference in Umthatha on 17-19 January 2014 which many dubbed the “Morogoro of Sanco”. A conference which was attended by crème de la crème of branch delegates propelled a change of leadership to help Sanco reclaim its stake as a revolutionary civic movement in South Africa. Richard Mdakane was elected the new National President with Lejweleputswa Executive Mayor Mathabo Leeto as his deputy.

Leeto must be accoladed for single-handedly saving the conference from total collapse. In addition to Mathabo Leeto, Free State is represented by five other members in the National Executive Committee, one of whom is Deputy Speaker of Free State Legislature Sizwe Mbalo. This is the leadership that is committed to revive branch structures and champion the cause of South African communities, thereby eradicating wild-cat service delivery protests.

Sanco is a vanguard movement for civil society and will not allow saboteurs to make mockery of our blood-earned democracy. South African National Civic Organisation is not in the business of revolting against ANC-led municipalities or taking ANC to court over service delivery issues. As a progressive civic movement, Sanco will engage in an interactive dialogue with municipal and government officials in an endeavour to reach consensus regarding service delivery backlog.

As branch leaders, we are circumspect of disgruntled members from COPE and EFF who seek elevation to political stardom through causing mayhem and instigating violent protests in our communities. Sanco will mobilise communities and rally them behind the ANC in upcoming elections and will not be used to destabilise the ruling ANC. Vandalism of state property, looting of business entities and perpetual fracas with the police cannot be condoned.

Communities have a right to a peaceful protest but, don’t have a right to vandalise state property or attack law-enforcement officials in the process of exercising their right. In advocating for service delivery, community members cannot continue to destroy the basic infrastructure already built. Ours is to mould stable, economically-independent and democratised communities who respect the rule of law.

Sanco through its branch structures must establish a symbiotic relationship with local municipalities and expunge the communication breakdown between communities and their immediate municipalities. Communities must be edified about institutions such as Human Rights Commission, Public Protector and Constitutional Court where they can submit their grievances when they feel strongly about something.

We cannot let internationally-funded issue-based organisations mislead our people into revolting against a democratic state when we have a progressive civic movement such as Sanco. Where were these issue-based organisations when people were being persecuted under apartheid? What did they do when National Party government was committing crime against humanity? Why are they so vocal only when ANC has delivered majority of South Africans from hell? It is our role to re-arrange our communities into civilised and politically-conscious organs of our developmental state. Gqina mhlali, gqina!

Lehlohonolo Nyetanyane
Sanco Chairperson Ward:13 Mangaung