They embarked on a three-day voter engagement tour in Mpumalanga that spread across Thembisile Hani, Govan Mbeki, Lekwa, Msukaligwa, Emakhazeni and Steve Tshwete.
They were joined by Provincial Chairperson Bosman Grobler, Mpumalanga-based Members of Parliament, councillors, Constituency Leaders and activists.

The delegation met with business chambers, citizens, civil society bodies and community forum leaders. In Thembisile Hani, a house was handed over to an elderly couple and their disabled children, whose RDP house was damaged by a hailstorm years ago.

In Lekwa, they did door-to-door visits, where they engaged with disgruntled residents in Enyokeni. The residents expressed their concerns at the cost of living and the cost of the food crisis. Some residents raised their concerns on continuous sewer spills, electrical failures, a lack of water and structural defects on RDP houses.

During public meetings, the Federal Leader also shared the logic behind the Multi-Party Charter, “We have decided to focus on the things that unite us, we want to reduce unemployment, we want the best education for our children, we want to live in safe communities, we want our economy to grow and we want the best healthcare facilities.”

The tour continued to Emakhazeni (Belfast) yesterday morning, where residents detailed their water challenges. The delegation was informed that several pumps at water reservoirs do not function at all, and as a result, the water pressure is low.

The Provincial Leader reiterated that South Africans will face an uphill battle if the ANC survives in the 2024 elections.

“As residents of this country, the power is in your hands. The country needs change, our infrastructure is on the brink of collapse, corruption is the order of the day, our healthcare facilities are in a dire state and our public entities are falling apart.”

The tour concluded in Steve Tshwete, where the delegation heard how the municipality is failing to maintain its infrastructure that keeps falling apart.

It was also reported that the ANC administration in the municipality appears unwilling to find a long-term solution to cable theft, despite the fact that replacing stolen cables costs millions in unbudgeted funds.

“The DA has noted the concerns of our residents from different municipalities in Mpumalanga. We encourage residents to register to vote in the upcoming elections. The DA is the only viable party capable of alleviating their woes,” Ms Sithole said.

“As the official opposition the DA remains committed to residents and good governance practices. Residents of Mpumalanga have been deprived of services for far too long under the ANC administration, therefore, removing the ANC from power is of importance.”

• Mr Steenhuisen mentioned in his speech at Nasaret how shocked he was with the state of the towns in Mpumalanga.

“The potholes have their own potholes! There is sewage in the streets! It is also heartbreaking going into the shacks and homes in rural areas and townships to see the suffering that people are going through.”

He further noted, “Our work as the blue army has never been more urgent and more necessary than it is now in our country!”