Immameleng Raphuthing speaking at Hitekani Primary School in Chiawelo, Soweto where President Cyril Ramaphosa had gone to cast his vote. Photo:Screenshot from video
A Soweto woman, who was hoping to speak to President Cyril Ramaphosa, expressed her frustration, stating that she has been voting for the African National Congress (ANC) for years but has nothing to show for it.
Immameleng Raphuthing, 50, was speaking on Wednesday at Hitekani Primary School in Chiawelo, Soweto where Ramaphosa had gone to cast his vote.
The 50-year-old woman tried to directly speak to the president, but she was stopped by his security guards.
She fell on her knees and cried about how she’s been struggling with her children.
“Its been 30 years, I have a child that was in Grade 12 last year. She told me that she doesn’t want to pass Grade 12 because after that she will be staying at home not doing anything. Everywhere we go the doors are closed for us,’’ she said in tears.
Immameleng Raphuthing, 50, a resident from Soweto says she's been voting for 30 years but has not reaped any benefit from the ANC government.
Raphuthing accused the ANC government of prioritising foreigners instead of looking after its own people.
“They’ve got houses, they’ve got everything. But for me its different, I’m like a foreigner in my own country. This is not fair, foreigners out there have everything that belongs to me and my kids,” she said.
She accused the security guards of being unfair and refusing her a chance to address the President.
“These people took the legacy of my children, my children and we never enjoyed the legacy of this country. I’m now 50 years old, I’ve been voting from 1994,” she said.
Meanwhile, after voting, Ramaphosa addressed the media and said he was confident that South Africans will still choose the ANC.
This is as the sixth administration term is coming to an end. The ANC has governed the country since 1994, but several polls predict the party will slide below 50% for the first time.
sinenhlanhla.masilela@iol.co.za
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