President Cyril Ramaphosa took center stage at the Siyanqoba Rally in Thabazimbi, Limpopo, on Sunday, 1 December, making bold promises about the future of the local municipality. Speaking ahead of the municipal by-elections set for Wednesday, 4 December, with special votes to be cast on Tuesday, 3 December, the ANC leader emphasized his commitment to reviving the ailing municipality. “Thabazimbi is broken and rotten, but under the ANC’s leadership, it can become one of Mzansi’s leading municipalities,” Ramaphosa declared, setting a visionary tone for the gathering.
Ramaphosa expressed a strong belief in the ANC’s ability to reclaim and strengthen local governance, underscoring the critical importance of unity within the council to address deep-seated service delivery issues and internal infighting. He stressed that the solution lay in electing young, open-minded councillors who could bring fresh perspectives and innovative approaches to the challenges facing the municipality. “The only way to fix it is to elect youth and councillors who are open-minded,” he asserted, framing the upcoming elections as a chance to chart a new course for Thabazimbi’s future.
In a pointed criticism of opposition parties, Ramaphosa argued that they lacked both a vision and a coherent plan for Thabazimbi’s growth. “They don’t know where Thabazimbi should be taken, and they don’t have a plan at all. It’s only the ANC that has a plan,” he said, reinforcing the ANC’s credentials as the only party equipped to deliver the kind of transformative leadership the region needed. He also outlined an ambitious vision for the future, one in which an ANC-led municipality would attract investment and foster economic growth, particularly by creating jobs for women and youth-led businesses.
“We want to see the municipality led by the ANC, able to attract investors to create jobs,” Ramaphosa added, his words resonating with the crowd, who shared his optimism for a revitalized local economy. The sense of hope was palpable, with Stan Mathabatha, the ANC Limpopo chairman, confidently predicting a clear victory in the elections. “I can see that there’s victory in sight already. We’re going to win the elections hands down,” he said, rallying support for the party’s campaign.
Echoing this optimism, ANC Youth League president Collen Malatji reinforced the party’s dominance in Limpopo, noting that the province remained the ANC’s stronghold. “Limpopo is the home of the ANC, and we are not arrogant about it,” Malatji remarked, emphasizing that the newly elected council must work tirelessly to build and sustain the municipality while delivering essential services to the people. With the ANC rallying around its message of hope and renewal, the stage was set for a transformative election that could redefine the future of Thabazimbi.
