Hlaudi Motsoeneng is going back to his roots

AFTER a number of years running the public broadcaster, former SABC head Hlaudi Motsoeneng said he wants to go back to his home town and the municipality of Maluti a Phofung.

More than three years ago Motsoeneng launched the African Content Movement (ACM), a new political party stretching its legs for the first time in this year’s local government elections.

Motsoeneng said when he grew up in QwaQwa, things were stable in terms of service delivery.

But he says the current government has failed to deliver basic services in that area including water and electricity.

Motsoeneng said he was heartbroken by the number of unemployed young people loitering in the streets of Maluti.

“For many years the people of Maluti did not have water but there are dams there. The ANC has failed in that area for the last 27 years. People are just asking for the basics,” he said.

Motsoeneng said he wanted to correct the electricity issues in that area.

The area did not have the infrastructure to provide an undisturbed supply of power.

“In Maluti there is no electricity, people even struggle to cook for their children. In the past the people of Maluti used to get services, but today the situation is worse.”

Maluti, which includes Harrismith, was an important town on the country’s transport network, he said. The current government was failing to use the economic strengths of Maluti to employ people and grow the local economy, he added.

“When we grew up, Harrismith was a big town. We as ACM are saying that employment should be created across all ages. All under 65s should get work,” Motsoeneng said.

He said the ACM had a plan to revive all the factories that were closed down and hire more people with the help of the private sector.

He said he had been engaging with

investors.

“In Maluti there are no roads, the roads are bad. Let us employ the locals to fix the roads, those people in QwaQwa should be the ones that fix their towns.”

Motsoeneng said the ACM believed in sustainable job creation. He said he was still shocked that the current government thought people could survive on the R350 Covid-19 relief grant.

“We should train people so that they are able to have skills and perform duties. I know the needs of people and I am not going to have a big manifesto, but I believe in making changes. Manifesto is the needs of the people and that is what I know,” he said.

Motsoeneng said the residents of QwaQwa should give the ACM a chance. Under the ACM, Maluti would see change within six months, he promised.

“Everyone knows my track record. I make decisions in the interest of the people. I transformed the SABC radically. I took care of the staff, they were paid well and I employed more young people and I also took care of the actors and freelancers.”

Motsoeneng said he was bothered that workers in Maluti were not well paid and sometimes the municipality did not pay them on time.

“The SABC was able to excel because I took care of the workers and I am going to do the same thing for Maluti. They should just trust me because I grew up there.”

He said he would not be standing for the mayoral position; all he wanted was to plough back.

“The voters should vote for a new party and new ideas and people who will turn around Maluti. If they give us a chance we will turn QwaQwa around,” he said.

Motsoeneng said ACM councillors would be accessible to the people and would live among the people. He said he hoped the ACM would run in the general elections.