By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African Natinal Congess (ANC) president Cyril Ramaphosa visited families affected by the tragic bus accident in northern KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday.
Ramaphosa also met with the injured survivors of the bus crash in Mayflower, Mpumalanga, where he wished them a speedy recovery.
The bus crashed on the R33 near Dumbe, Paulpietersburg in Northern KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday morning.
Eight supporters died and scores sustained injuries, with four being more critical.
He was accompanied by other ANC officials, promised bereaved families that they would get support from the party and provincial government.
“The government, through different departments such as the Social Development, will provide assistance. They will provide counselling and other necessities. The provincial government will ensure that all protocols are followed, Ramaphosa said.”
He promised that the government and the ANC would ensure that the deceased are given a dignified funeral on Saturday.
Tens of thousands of supporters of ANC on Saturday gathered at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in the coastal KwaZulu-Natal province where the party launched its election manifesto.
Supporters dressed in yellow and white T-shirts bearing ANC logos sang and danced as they filled the over 50,000-capacity stadium ahead of Ramaphosa’s speech.
Over the next 5 years, the ANC will create a jobs plan to create millions of jobs for South Africans,” Ramaphosa said, adding: ‘”The ANC plans to put South Africans to work, to reduce the high unemployment rate.”
With a population of 62 million people, South Africa currently has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, standing at 32.1%, according to official government figures released last week.
Opposition parties have been using the issue of high unemployment in their campaigns to taunt the ANC, which has been in power since 1994.
Ramaphosa said that in the past 30 years, the ANC has been able to meet the basic needs of poor South Africans, such as providing low-cost free housing, water, and electricity.
The ANC’s major competitors include the Democratic Alliance, the second-largest political party in parliament, and the Economic Freedom Fighters, the third-largest party, who have both launched their election manifestos.