Charles Molele
An unemployed mother of four Francinah Masilo came prepared to the ANC rally in Alexandra where President Cyril Ramaphosa was scheduled to address residents on Thursday.
Masilo, whose great grandfather lived in the oldest township in South Africa, carried a letter the community wrote to former President Thabo Mbeki about the Alexandra Renewal project (ARP) – one of the flagship developmental projects of the post-apartheid state.
The letter raised issues that continue to plague the community of Alexandra – high levels of crime and violence, lack of proper housing, illegal structures, unclean environment and poor sanitation throughout the township.
Mbeki launched the ARP in 2001 with funding from the national, provincial and local governments.
Based on a seven-year plan to upgrade the infrastructure and address the unemployment and housing crises in Alexandra, the ARP inspired widespread hope and tremendous expectations.
The ARP’s goals included – substantially reducing
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