ANC delegates in various rural communities in the Western Cape are calling on rural leaders to emerge, saying metro leaders have failed to address their issues.
The delegates were speaking at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) where the ANC in the province is holding its 9th provincial conference.
Being excluded from economic opportunities and evictions on farms are among key issues they said were crippling rural regions.
ANC sub-region chairperson in Bergrivier, Daantjie Swartz, said: “Long enough, the metro has ruled in the province but now we say that is enough. We need a member out of the West Coast or out of any rural area to come and lead us. A leader who will understand our problems on the farms, from evictions and housing issues. We are saying metro leaders can't lead us any more because everything stops in the metro and does not come to us,” he said.
ANC community activist in Piketberg, Hashim Scheepers, said some metro leaders did not understand the issues facing rural regions.
“It seems some metro leaders don’t understand the issues facing rural regions, and they think that we don’t have the capacity to lead,” said Scheepers.
The rural communities have formed a lobby group called “Rural for Change” and are backing long-standing ANC leader Neville Delport for provincial secretary.
Delport said a number of issues needed intervention in rural regions.
“Electoral of the ANC support has totally declined in the metro and has been solid in rural regions. Yet some of our issues are not addressed. Some of our communities have been excluded from economic opportunities in all projects. They even reduce funding for NGOs in our areas. We will continue to fight to ensure our areas are prioritised,” he said.