ID President Patricia de Lille has wrapped up her constituency work in the Eastern Cape and has expressed her dismay at `the poor state of infrastructure in the province, particularly in parts of the former Transkei.

'I have come away from the Umtata region with the sense that delivery is moving at a snail's pace due to problems of corruption and poor governance. The youth, especially, are ravaged by high unemployment rates,' Ms De Lille says.

'There is a lack of infrastructure and delivery, especially with regards to roads, water, schools and clinics.'

The ID Leader cited an example of an elderly lady 'who waited over six hours for an ambulance to take her to hospital, before her community flagged down ID Chief Whip Lance Greyling, who drove her to the hospital instead.'

De Lille later visited the woman in hospital.

'On the way to the hospital Mr Greyling noticed an ambulance standing alongside the road, its staff leaning against the vehicle chatting,' says De Lille.

In Rhode, near Umtata, De Lille says she was 'shocked by the state of disrepair of the tribal authority buildings, which, like the local clinic, did not have any chairs.

'We donated 20 chairs, but I was more shocked to notice that there are not any toilets in the area and not even a bucket system is in place. Work on the clinic was unfinished and we were informed that the developer had disappeared without even paying the workers,' De Lille says.

'The community also complained about a tavern, which had been built next to a school and said they had reported this to the liquor board. However, there was no response.'

On 18 April, De Lille travelled to Mqanduli, 'where the school has 226 students. One classroom was built with mud and had holes everywhere, while another was built with wood.

'There were no chairs and desks and children have to walk long distances to get to school. The students are gradually leaving because classes cannot be held when the weather is bad,' says De Lille.

De Lille appealed to the Chief Director of the Education Department, Mr Ngonza, to provide the children with mobile classrooms until the construction of the school is completed, in June 2008.

Meanwhile, members of the Komga community told Ms De Lille they are not receiving free basic water and electricity as per government policy and there are virtually no programmes for the youth.

Her visit, which included the areas of Komga, Umtata, Rhode, Mqanduli, Mdwaleni, Port Elizabeth, Despatch, Uitenhage and Humansdorp, included courtesy visits to Xhosa Chiefs and meetings with business leaders and ID structures and communities.

Ms De Lille says she will raise all of these issues in Parliament.

She was accompanied on her trip by Lance Greyling, ID Chief Whip, ID MP Sakkie Jenner and Joe Mcgluwa, the ID National Organiser.

This week De Lille will travel to the Gauteng and North West provinces to continue with her constituency work.