Oftentimes, local government gets more brickbats than bouquets from residents but Orange Farm resident Derick Mncube wants to change all of that. The singer and songwriter has allowed his creative juices to overflow, resulting in a ditty about the service delivery in the City of Johannesburg.
He composed “Maspala Wethu”, which means our local government at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Covid-19 brought with it a lot of uncertainty, increased frustration and a rise in poverty when many residents were laid off from their jobs. Jobs in general, became scarcer and the country as a whole just went chaotic,” says Mncube.
It was through facing this turmoil that he decided to stand out from the crowd and share some positivity about the City’s activities. He says when Covid-19 hit South Africa, the City’s services continued.
“The City still collected our waste, water was still running, we had lights and the City did everything it could to disseminate information and give us hope and some form of alleviation through its services.
“The City deserves recognition. As the lyrics to my song say: ‘Our municipality, we need to appreciate it and be thankful for the great service delivery.”
Mncube, who is originally from KwaZulu-Natal, moved to Johannesburg for better opportunities. He believes that the City has more opportunities and the right infrastructure for him to accomplish his dreams. He says back home in KZN there is not enough infrastructure and facilities available for him to record and use a studio.
He is currently unemployed but a happy resident of Region G. He has five children who do not currently stay with him because of his finances. “Although I cannot give my family everything they need right now, through my music when I do get money the first thing I see to is my children.”
Mncube, who is commonly known in his community as ‘Judascariot’, says his passion is music.
“Living in Orange Farm has helped. It is not the best environment but I have a fan base and the community supports and shows me love. I would love to be a representative for the City because I am an advocate for the positive things the municipality does for its residents,” he notes.
“Through my song I want the people to know about the municipality and the good that it has to offer. I love our municipality it’s the only one we have to serve us as residents,” says Mncube.
Written by Sascha-Lee Joseph
02/08/2022