As the country celebrated three decades of democracy on Saturday, pupils at several schools in Willowvale only hear about the rewards of democracy from news outlets. Parents said they had not tasted the fruits of democracy and that pupils in rural areas also deserved a better life. They attended school in ramshackle buildings under dangerous conditions a disaster waiting to happen, the parents charged.
With the Eastern Cape hit almost weekly by protests over service delivery, premier Oscar Mabuyane reflected at the weekend on three decades of democracy, calling for people to be optimistic. Irate residents have taken to the streets across the province over grievances such as a lack of clean drinking water, proper schools and roads, unemployment, electricity, crime and corruption.
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Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane has admitted achieving the full vision of the Bill of Rights outlined in the country’s constitution has faced several challenges over three decades of democracy. Mabuyane was addressing hundreds of residents at the Bhisho stadium on Saturday in celebration of 30 years of freedom.
Traditional leaders in the Eastern Cape have called for government to heed the “complex issues” raised by aggrieved citizens during this election period. The province has recently been hit with protests over service delivery issues including access to clean drinking water, proper roads and electricity among other grievances.