AT JUST 29, Godfrey Skosana took it upon himself to contest the upcoming local government elections as he seeks to ensure that his community has clean drinking water.
Skosana, from Sephaku in Limpopo, joined the Freedom Front Plus a few months ago.
Having grown up in the township himself, Skosana said water scarcity continues to torment the community of about 5 000 families who have access to only one tap.
Otherwise, if they are unable to get to the tap, residents flock to drink water with the cattle, Skosana said.
The community has been governed by the ANC for years. Skosana said the governing party has shown that it cannot see to the needs of Sephaku residents, and the time has now come for a new party to govern - the FF Plus.
“I believe that they will help black communities to restore change because we really need change.
“This community is very dry… by this I mean in terms of development and services. There is nothing here. The people do not have water and are seen drinking with the cattle.
“About 5 000 people use the one tap in the community, while the others also drink from the river with the animals.
“Clean drinking water is scarce in the community,” he said.
According to Skosana, when there are funerals in the area, people rush off to the water tank to fill up.
Other drawbacks include the lack of sport facilities and arts and cultural activities. “There is nothing for the youth in Sephaku. The entertainment industry is poor. In most cases, when someone finishes their matric they move out of the community because there is nothing for them to do.
“The community has always been led by the ANC government, but there has been no change. The change will only come when our people vote for the FF Plus,” Skosana said.
Skosana, who said he had not always been interested in politics, joined the party led by Pieter Groenewald a few months ago. He explained that he was drawn to the political party because of the loyalty shown.
“I was a community leader for a few years, being a soccer captain, buying equipment for children to play and since 2015 I have been helping children with homework and also helped local artists promote their talents.
“The leaders have neglected us. We decided that we can take power. We see and know the basic needs in the community and we have a vision for what we want our community to be. We can build that community that we want to see. The FF Plus are true to their voters.
“The party is proud of what and who they are. They have always shown that they are loyal to the communities and they have a vision for the future.
“In this ward, and when we win it, we will deliver services to the community and make some developments,” he said.
He added: “If you want change, you have to be the change that people see.”
Political Bureau