ANC Secretary General, Fikile Mbalula, has refuted assertions that the party is only visiting the community of Hammanskraal to gain votes.
In a statement, the ANC says it visited the community out of concern following the cholera outbreak that has claimed more than 20 lives in the area.
The comments come as the country heads into election season, ahead of next year’s national polls.
Mbalula visited the community in the North of Tshwane yesterday.
The deadly water borne disease has so far claimed the lives of 23 people in Tshwane, one in the Free State and another one in Mpumalanga.
Mbalula also visited some of the families who lost loved their loved ones to cholera and assured them that they will be back to monitor progress on the issues that have been raised.
The ANC’s secretary general also spoke out against the misuse of public funds, saying the money that government sets aside for public services must be used just for that.
His remarks on this come a week after the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation, Robert Mashego, acknowledged that serious financial challenges and misuse of funds has contributed to the current crisis in Hammanskraal.
There was R16 billion in irregular expenditure reflected in the Department’s financial statements.
The ruling party has also commended the multi-disciplinary efforts by government and civil society to mitigate against the outbreak.
The Department of Water and Sanitation has revealed that up to upgrade and repair the Rooiwal Waste Water Plant will cost taxpayers R4 billion.
The discharges sludge to the Themba Wastewater Treatment Plant, which distributes water to the Hammanskraal community.
Director General at the Department of Water and Sanitation, Dr Sean Philips, says the repair of that plant is vital.