'Alex leadership must confirm their availability to engage with mayor Mashaba'

Alexandra community members are in an uproar over what they call Herman Mashaba's lack of interest in their problems.

Community members say they were expecting the Joburg mayor to visit the area to address their concerns after they embarked on protests this week, leaving much of the area at a standstill as tyres were burnt and roads blocked.

On Thursday Mashaba responded to a call by President Cyril Ramaphosa to visit the area with a challenge of his own.

I noted the call of @MYANC President, Cyril Ramaphosa for me to address the community of Alexandra. Name the time and place Mr President, I will be there, I wonder if you will be. I will account for 2 years of government and you can account for over 2 decades of failure in Alex pic.twitter.com/ox6j0mhk50
— Herman Mashaba (@HermanMashaba) April 4, 2019

Mashaba's spokesperson Luyanda Mfeka said they were waiting on community members to say when they would be available to meet.

The DA and the ANC have been blaming each other for the lack of service delivery in Alex since the protests broke out this week.

Amazed at how short termism people are in the judgement of a clearly incredible @HermanMashaba. 20 years will never equate to 2 years. Populism trumps common sense.
— Mitch (@garthserg) April 4, 2019

True but we've been at wheel and driving this democracy for so long but still we haven't uplifted the most impoverished, it's easy to keep referring to the past but it takes our eyes of the current failures
— Shane Armand (@arm_armshane) April 5, 2019

As much as it is a blame game , he is absolutely right cos even ANC is using him as a scapegoat as if they are holier than thou , and in fact Herman mashaba adopted Jo'burg while it was in the hands of anc and they expect him to fix 23 years of non deliverace in 2 years .. pic.twitter.com/nDsEWqnF7e
— Mkarimbe_C.K_ (@KB_mfana_012) April 4, 2019

Mayor Mashaba must respect voters. Mashaba is responsible for enforcing Bylaws, not the President. Playing cheap politics won't help. We are 4 weeks towards elections. Voters do not separate municipality issues and national issues. Ask the ANC what happened in 2016.
— Mthoko Mashabane (@MthokoMashabane) April 4, 2019

Just go and address the people at that community meeting today, give them a plan going forward & your progress thus far. Forget the ANC. The residents will destroy the little they have. People sometimes want to see that you honour their demands & thus showing accountability.
— Taka Qhama (@LoyisoKholobile) April 5, 2019