EFF statement following Cyril Ramaphosa’s apology in parliament, for lying about building one-million houses for the people of Alexandra township

29 August 2024

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has noted Cyril Ramaphosa's apology in the Parliament of South Africa, which he delivered to the people of Alexandra Township and the people of South Africa, for failing to deliver on the promise he made in April 2019 of building one-million houses in Alexandra.

Today in the Parliament of South Africa, the Commander-in-Chief (CIC) and President of the EFF Julius Malema, in the Questions for Oral Reply Session asked Ramaphosa whether any progress had been made on the building of the one-million houses he promised in Alexander in 2019, and if there was none, what would have been the cause for delay.

In his response, Ramaphosa cowardly attempted to rewrite history and distort his own words, by claiming that he never made such a promise, and his commitment was that there would be a project to build one-million houses nation-wide within a five-year period. After further interrogation by the CIC Julius Malema, Ramaphosa eventually conceded that he misled the people of Alexander and ultimately apologised.

Notably, if we were to measure Ramaphosa by his own distortion that he promised to build one-million houses nation-wide, he did not meet that target over a five-year period, meaning even by his own lies today, he failed!

This concession which came as a result of accountability being demanded by the EFF, is important to the people of Alexandra and South Africa as it confirms that Ramaphosa's tenure as President of South Africa has been characterised by lies, false promises and electioneering using the struggles of ordinary people.

It is also of significance to the EFF, as we recently lost a committed activist and Councillor in the City of Johannesburg, Honorary Commissar Moshe Mphahlele, who was killed while fighting for housing for the people of Alexandra. It is unfortunate that Commissar Mphahlele did not live to see the man who lied to those he gave his life for, fall on his sword of lies.

The EFF has maintained that Cyril Ramaphosa lied to the people of Alexander, and that no meaningful changes have been achieved during his Presidency. This concession to his lies, is one of many that ought to happen, and he has many lies and acts of incompetence to apologise for.

Ramaphosa is yet to apologise for his failure to fix the water crisis in Hammanskraal, which led to multiple cholera-related deaths last year; he is yet to apologise for his failure to rebuild South Africa's railway infrastructure, which leads to roads that are plagued by accidents as a result of an over flow of cargo-trucks on our roads; and he is yet to apologise for presiding over a term of Presidency that has seen an increase in unemployment, the cost of living, and a collapse of the public healthcare sector.

It was Ramaphosa who through his "Presidential Employment Stimulus" in 2020 promised to create 800 000 jobs. At the time unemployment in South Africa stood at 32.5%, today in the year 2024 unemployment sits at 33.5% and during his tenure, he has even gone on to say that it is not the responsibility of government to create jobs.

It was Cyril Ramaphosa who, in 2019, in a promise to curb and end Gender-Based Violence (GBV), promised a National Register of GBV Offenders which would be made public; a review of GBV cases that were closed because they were not properly handled; a clearing of the backlog of cases especially as it relates to DNA testing; and an availability of rape testing kits in all police stations.

Today in 2024, there is no National Register of GBV Offenders, there has been no national review of GBV cases that were improperly handled, and polices stations still do not have enough rape kits to cater for victims, with a shortage of over 40 000 kits in police stations across the country.

Perhaps most painfully, as this month marks twelve-years since the Marikana Massacre, Cyril Ramaphosa is yet to apologise to the widows of Marikana and the people of South Africa, for the role that he played in the murder of 34-mineworkers. It has been six-years since Ramaphosa promised to visit the widows of Marikana at Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela's funeral, and till today, this has not happened.

Ramaphosa is a President who lives a lie, and expects all South Africans to forget his promises and accept the his empty guarantees, while forgetting those he has made in the past. The EFF will not form part of a life of lies, and we will expose them whenever they are told.

The EFF commits to continue to fight for decent housing for the people of Alexandra in honour of Commissar Moshe Mphahlele, regardless of any intimidation tactics and even in the face of death. South Africans must know that Cyril Ramaphosa lives and breathes lies, and the only thing he is committed to is serving the interests of the white-capitalist establishment.

The EFF will continue to hold the Executive accountable in Parliament and opposing all the regressive policies of the DA-ANC grand coalition, whose ultimate aim is to defund and privatise our state-institutions, and turn South Africa into a commodity of private and capitalist interests.

Issued by Leigh-Ann Mathys, National Spokesperson, EFF, 30 August 2024