The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has fulfilled its promise to cover the rent for elderly residents living in Nancefield Retirement Village in Eldorado Park.
EFF to cover Nancefield Village rent for 40 elders
At an EFF manifesto town hall meeting, party president Julius Malema announced that the payments would cover five years’ rent for over 40 elderly individuals.
According to Eyewitness News, the party plans to provide evidence of payment and introduce a contractor who, according to the party, has already been paid.
“The commissar will introduce the contractor responsible for repairing broken windows, ceilings and geysers in the same village, a further fulfilment of a commitment made by CIC Julius Malema during his recent address at an EFF manifesto town hall meeting,” said spokesperson Dumisani Baleni.
Residents of Eldorado Park characterize their community as plagued by crime, dirt, and squalor.
The Johannesburg South area frequently makes headlines due to reports of drive-by shootings, drug-related incidents, and gang activity.
Eldorado Park residents express scepticism regarding the intentions of the EFF in their community but are willing to engage in dialogue and discussions with the party.
The EFF has been actively campaigning in the Johannesburg suburb, engaging in door-to-door visits, organising clean-up initiatives, and conversing with residents over the past few days.
Residents planning to attend the EFF’s meeting express their willingness to listen to the party’s plans for addressing the community’s issues.
René Khan: “If they can help even with these kids that studied and can’t get jobs, that will also help prevent criminals from breaking into our homes.”
Fagmida Brown: “They are all just here to use us as a community, it’s the first time as an Eldorado Park resident of over 40 years that I actually see the EFF here.”
Eldorado Park is situated within Johannesburg Ward 18, where the Patriotic Alliance (PA) holds governance.
In the 2021 local government elections, the PA secured 63% of the votes, while the EFF received only 1%.
Ndlozi to distribute rental assistance to Eldorado Park elderly
On Tuesday, EFF commissar Mbuyiseni Ndlozi will fulfil the party’s promise to cover rental expenses for elderly members of the community who are struggling to pay for their retirement village accommodation.
The party announced on Monday that Ndlozi has been tasked with delivering proof of payment equivalent to five years’ rent for those unable to afford their property rental.
“Following CIC Julius Malema’s commitment to pay for elderly residents of Nancefield Retirement Village in Eldorado Park, the convenor of the EFF Gauteng Provincial Elections Task Force, Commissar Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi will deliver the proof of payments. These payments will cover five years’ rent for over 40 elderly individuals,” the party said in a statement.
The party also stated its intention to renovate the rundown property to ensure elderly people enjoy retirement in better conditions.
The Star reported that Malema, during his address at the Don Mateman Hall, said the notion that communities such as Eldorado Park were dangerous and drug-infested must stop as crime and other social ills affected everyone . It should not be used as an excuse to pigeon-hole the country’s coloured communities.
The EFF unveiled its election manifesto on 10 February, titled “Our Land and Jobs Now. Stop Loadshedding!”
According to the Daily Maverick, the EFF outlines its pledges across seven critical domains, drawing from inputs, its foundational manifesto, and the collective wisdom gained through its operational history.
- Expropriation of land;
- Nationalisation of strategic sectors of the economy;
- Building state and government capacity;
- Free quality education, health care, housing and sanitation;
- Protected industrial development;
- Development of the African economy; and
- Open, accountable, corrupt-free government.
Africa Check embarked on fact-checking the claims presented in the EFF manifesto, a standard practice for political party documents.
However, we encountered two significant challenges in this endeavour.
Firstly, the manifesto is replete with promises, with over 1 700 occurrences of the word “will.”
While it’s common for parties to make commitments during election periods, we cannot fact-check assertions about the future.
Secondly, despite our repeated attempts to contact the party for clarification on claims presented as factual, we are still waiting to receive a response to our inquiries.
This lack of engagement means that for some of the more general claims, such as the EFF’s assertion of effectively granting land to 50 000 landless individuals, there are no available data sources to verify the claims.
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