Kingdom Mabuza

Kingdom Mabuza

The ANC in Gauteng has admitted that residents' complaints about poor service delivery in various townships were genuine.

The party also acknowledged that most of the violent protests of the past weeks were led by ANC members and in some instances by members of their alliance partners, the SACP and the South African National Civics Organisation (Sanco).

Provincial secretary David Makhura told a media briefing yesterday that poor communication on the part of the government was to blame.

"Poor government communication and irregular interaction with affected communities about the progress on delivery has often served as a detonator of protests," he said.

Makhura said most of the protests took place in informal settlements where significant development was under way.

He said infighting in ANC branches and conflict against the newly elected councillors also contributed to the protests.

Makhura said the ANC would intervene to deal with conflicts in branches to ensure that those who were not included in election lists did not paralyse the newly elected councillors.

"In some areas infighting in the local alliance structures has given rise to the protests as different groups mobilise communities for their own selfish interests," he said.

Makhura lambasted the "slow response of police" during violent protests.

He said the ANC viewed the police's attitude with great concern.

"We call on state security agencies to act firmly against criminal elements who want to exploit genuine frustrations of communities for their self-ish ends."