DA expresses gratitude to ANC after Van der Molen defects

Editor – Without trying to be sarcastic or funny in any way, I would like to sincerely thank the ANC for taking an ex-DA councillor and swallowing her (and soon to be spat out) into their fold. I feel simply saying thank you to the ANC is not enough.

In particular, I refer to Ms Alison van der Molen, now the ex-ward councillor for ward 118. Without a mandate or permission from the residents in the ward, Alison has turned her back on them and betrayed their trust by joining the ANC. I am one of those residents. However, in the same breath, I remain grateful to the ANC for taking her; allow me to explain.

I must immediately say that Ms Van der Molen started off as a model city councillor, ensuring that the interests of all her residents were protected and looked after. This all started to gradually change around two years ago. I immediately noticed the rapid decay of areas in the ward; areas such as Malvern, for example. I personally called her a number of times expressing my concern at the state of Malvern, an area I know very well as I had grown up there. At every conversation, Ms Van der Molen took no responsibility and, despite my requests to do something to improve the area, she did nothing.

To make matters even worse, at around that same time, she moved out of the area to Mondeor in the south of Johannesburg – rather far from ward 118. As a result, her activities came down to next to nothing in serving the residents. I have no problem with public representatives who do not live in the area that they represent, but I do have a problem when this means that residents will not be properly serviced and served by the councillor. In this case, the taxpayer saw this clearly as the area is deteriorating rapidly.

So in a way it is a blessing that Ms Van der Molen joined the ANC, as they have a culture of non-delivery and self-interest. This now suits Ms van der Molen as she has morphed into, and will be comfortable with, those in the ANC who admire these characteristics.

Manny de Freitas,

Member of Parliament for Johannesburg South, Lesedi and Midvaal,

Shadow Minister of Home Affairs,

Democratic Alliance.

Letter edited.

Editor’s comment – The EXPRESS did try to get comment from Ms Van der Molen on all comments made about her. She said she has no further comment.