TOMORROW, January 8, masses of our people ascend on Limpopo to celebrate the 99th anniversary of the ANC.

This is a province that gave birth to King Sekhukhune of the Bapedi and many chiefs such as Langa, Pila, Molekana, Chokoe, Mokhombane, Matlala and many others who are the unsung heroes of the people of Limpopo.

Many of them embarked on battles and wars against the colonial powers in defence of their people.

Despite not having sophisticated military ware, guided by love for their people and a quest for a better tomorrow for their children, they did everything in their power to make sure that they were not defeated.

Ironically, 16 years after democracy the people of this province remain poor. Their deep-rooted poverty is characterised by illiteracy, disease and underdevelopment.

Many of them cannot cultivate land for subsistence because parts of their birthright was given to mining giants to extract the mineral riches the province is endowed with.

Many of them marched in protest against forced removals to make way for the new mining expeditions, but the democratic government refused to listen.

Some had to exhume the remains of their relatives for reburial as they made way for the mining giants. Today they no longer have livestock to support their families due to a lack of grazing land or urbanisation.

Decent classrooms for their children remain a luxury. Their villages are crisscrossed by dirt roads because tarred roads are associated with towns and urban areas.

Paraffin stoves and water from the rivers for cooking has become part of their lives. Electricity to some remains a privilege not within reach.

The irony is that five-star hotels in the city of Polokwane will be fully booked for the entire weekend and expensive whiskey will be out of stock when the sun rises on Monday.

Cigar-puffing tenderpreneurs will lead discussions in hotel corridors and pubs about "access to state resources."

It is also during these cigar-puffing and whiskey-drinking sessions that friendships and cliques, which determine leadership positions in the ANC and deployment into government, are strengthened.

In the name of the poor, some will lobby hard to make it on the list for the coming local elections.

Given the scenario, one is not surprised that over the last 16 years the only milestone in improving the lives of our people has been through social grants. The poor are not sure of their next meal, but it is in their name that their leaders fight over tenders.

Young graduates are not guaranteed employment while millions of rands are pumped into services that never reach them, but only their leaders and those close to them. On the other hand, a worker's sweat is still worth nothing as many of them continue to earn slave wages.

The gathering tomorrow is nothing but a celebration of the "successes" and "joys" of those in power and their allies.

It is an act of false hope to the masses of our people who rely on the democratic government to improve their living conditions.

It is an insult to the poor, who are largely used as voting pawns, by those masquerading as architects of a better South Africa.

In the ANC today being discontented with the quality of life of our people is seen as counter-revolutionary, while worshipping and glorifying our leaders' material gains is seen as being progressive.

Any dissension is frowned on and is dealt with viciously.

We have lost it as nation and finding the compass to redirect us might never happen.

The only hope for the poor is a middle class that must refuse to take things as given.

A middle class characterised by a vigilant youth that asks questions and helps the poorest of the poor to hold this government accountable.

We have embraced mediocrity for far too long and it has to stop.

• The author is a registrar psychiatrist at the University of Cape Town.