‘We’re now cutting ribbons for potholes’: Ramaphosa’s viral road repair gets tongues wagging

05 September 2022 - 07:03
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President Cyril Ramaphosa inspects a road repair in Delmas, Mpumalanga.
President Cyril Ramaphosa inspects a road repair in Delmas, Mpumalanga.
Image: Twitter/ Fikile Mbalula

President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC have been dragged over “embarrassing” images of a road repair project in Delmas in Mpumalanga. 

Ramaphosa was in the area over the weekend as part of the ANC’s Letsema service delivery campaign. 

The president joined municipal workers who are busy with road repairs in Delmas as part of the campaign.

The Letsema campaign was launched on April 23 in Mangaung and is aimed at placing ANC structures at the forefront of resolving community challenges, including service delivery and social inclusion.

Head of ANC elections and transport minister Fikile Mbalula shared pictures of Ramaphosa on the road and inspecting the repair.

EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu weighed in, calling it “embarrassing”. 

“Which road is being repaired here, minister? What level of desperate grandstanding is this? We knew things are bad but not to these embarrassing levels. Please delete this tweet and the photos posted about the illusionary fixing of roads. Please,” Shivambu said.

One SA Movement leader Mmusi Maimane also slammed the ruling party.

“ANC, are you not embarrassed? This is very embarrassing,” said Maimane.

“For sure he is thinking ’I should have put my US dollars in a pothole’.

“We are now cutting ribbons for potholes. This is what happens when the money for maintaining roads has been looted. Only 41 out of 257 municipalities received clean audits. Our taxes are flowing into ANC pockets by any tender necessary.”

Here is a snapshot of what others had to say:

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