ATM leader Vuyolwethu Zungula has slammed political leaders for not showing political will to deal with social issues affecting the majority of South Africans.
People without political will cannot be trusted to govern the country, Zungula said wile addressing hundreds of his party members at an ATM regional rally held in Jabulani, Soweto, on Saturday.
He called on South Africans to be unapologetic when demanding accountability from politicians who are elected to serve citizens and not their own interests.
“The power is ours. Our being here is to reclaim our power. If there is one thing that South Africans have forgotten it is that the power is ours.
“When you see a politician, a president or a minister, you must not think you are seeing a celebrity. You must not think you are seeing a pop star. You are seeing your servant, because that person is here to serve you,” Zungula told party members.
With the country hit by increased levels of crime and lawlessness, Zungula said the government was quick to unleash the army on South Africans during the Covid-19 lockdown over two years ago, but continuously fails to show the same commitment to solving the current issue of ending crime and other socio-economic challenges.
“We can’t have a country that is governed by people who don’t have the political will to solve the problems of the people.
“Two years ago there was Covid-19, then lockdown and there were soldiers everywhere because there was the political will to keep people in their houses. But when there are drugs where is the political will? When there are illegal miners that are terrorising our people where is the political will? When people are dying because of fake products in Soweto where is the political will? When there is load shedding that is killing small businesses where is the political will? Why is it that the political will is only for the benefit of politicians, not the citizens?” he asked.
Ahead of the 2024 general elections, Zungula said it was up to South Africans to elect the right leaders into positions of power, adding that South Africans should stop normalising abuse and mistreatment by those in power.
“The problem we have in our country is that we have people who when they see politicians, they think they have seen celebrities.
“They get excited about taking selfies with people who are supposed to serve their interests, whereas they should be dictating to those people to fix load shedding, fix unemployment, deal with crime, deal with poverty, and deal with all of these things that are giving us problems.
“In the absence of people knowing their power, we are not going to solve anything, so ours today, servants, is to say to South Africans, reclaim your power,” he said.