'This is going to be your legacy' - Mashaba & Mbalula butt heads over service delivery in Khayelitsha

Transport minister Fikile Mbalula and ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba took shots at one another on social media over the issue of service delivery in Khayelitsha, Cape Town.

Mashaba's party kicked off its national tour in Cape Town on Tuesday, visiting the city's townships, including Khayelitsha.

The party visited informal housing in Makhaza, the Khayelitsha train station, and the department of home affairs.

Mashaba documented the tour on Twitter, taking jabs at the ruling party.

In one post, Mashaba said there was nothing “new” about Khayelitsha (which means "new home").

“In reality, there is nothing new or homely about living here. If this is 'good governance', we don't have an understanding of what 'good' actually means,” said Mashaba.

In another post, Mashaba called on Mbalula to fix the infrastructure at the train station.

“This is a shame on all of us in SA but for you, as a responsible minister, I wonder how you feel when you see something like this,” said Mashaba.

“This is going to be your legacy, minister. Perfectly good rail infrastructure neglected and left to be destroyed. History will not remember you fondly.”

Mbalula was having none of it and put the blame at the door of the DA.

Mbalula said the official opposition party, of which Mashaba was once a member, was responsible for service delivery in the Western Cape.

“Mention the party name sir, don't generalise. Who is governing the Western Cape? Your party, Democratic Alliance,” said Mbalula.

Coming to Mbalula's defence, transport ministry spokesperson Ayanda-Allie Paine said the minister was not to blame for the theft of rail infrastructure.

“If you recall sir, it was minister Mbalula who called for the theft of rail infrastructure to be classified as economic sabotage, so as to attract harsher sentences. The work continues, hand in hand with SSA [the State Security Agency], Saps and [the department of] justice,” she told Mashaba.

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