These are amongst some of the pressing issues expected to come under scrutiny today when President Cyril Ramaphosa engages community members in Upington. His visit to the province is part of the ANC’s door-to-door campaign trail ahead of the much anticipated May 8 elections.

Ramaphosa's visit to the province comes just weeks after ANC chair, Gwede Mantashe, embarked on a campaign trail to the town of Kathu in the same province while Deputy President, David Mabuza, visited the Taung area in the North West and ANC Secretary-General, Ace Magashule, visited the troubled Maluti-A-Phofung municipality in the Free State. With less than two months to the general elections, the ANC is sending out its heavy weights to the different regions to strengthen their support base.

Ramaphosa will thereafter head to QwaQwa in the Free State where he will address multitudes of ANC members and supporters at the Charles Mopeli Stadium, on Saturday. The ANC in this region made headlines when residents embarked on service delivery protests, as well as several ANC vs ANC court battles. The provincial structure made news when it was dragged to court over the suspension of 16 councillors who allegedly rebelled against the Free State ANC’s Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) and voted with the opposition to elect Gilbert Mokotso as the mayor of Maluti –A –Phofung.

The case was, however, almost two months ago dismissed with costs by the Free State High Court.

Judge Johannes Petrus Daffue, on February the 14th, expressed concerns with the actions of the legal counsel representing the applicants after Advocate Kameel Magan and the attorney Dexter Selepe failed to make the drive from Johannesburg to Bloemfontein due to Magan’s alleged sudden illness.

Daffue alluded that he saw no prospects of the applicants emerging victorious from the case from the onset, and this was further highlighted by the legal counsel’s failure to submit a written responding affidavit as well as the heads of argument within the agreed time period.

During the past weekend, when Magashule visited the town, municipal employees embarked on a protest over non-payment of salaries and third parties by the cash-strapped municipality. The Maluti-A-Phofung currently owes Eskom more than R2.8 billion and is ranked as the municipality in the country with the highest Eskom debt.

Following this, all eyes will be on Ramaphosa and how he plans to address questions regarding issues faced in this area.

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