At the moment, President Cyril Ramaphosa's plan to build a city on the banks of the Vaal River seems ludicrous, because the dumping of sewage into the River first needs to be stopped.
The river pump station has been out of order for three years and no attempts have been made to repair it.
President Ramaphosa made numerous promises during his presidential Imbizo in the George Thabe Stadium in Sharpville, Emfuleni, but the feasibility of these promises is questionable.
The planned River City can only be realised once the sewage situation has been resolved.
He also spoke about the economic development of an industrial area in the south of Emfuleni, which will focus specifically on Black Economic Empowerment. It is unacceptable that only black people are being helped. All businesses are struggling, so, all businesses should be provided with support.
The announcement that about 35 roads will be repaired is a plus, but also raises questions about feasibility seeing as the Emfuleni Local Municipality (Evaton, Sebokeng, Vaal Oewer, Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging) is already bankrupt and in dire need of a financial injection.
Residents' response to the Imbizo must be seen against the backdrop of years of empty promises. Emfuleni deserves better than the ANC.
;
