The upcoming local government election is a straight choice between those who want to uphold democratic values and the Constitution and those who are self-serving, deal in corruption, maladministration and cadre deployment which has clearly crippled local government in many towns in KZN.
So said Sizwe Mchunu, former DA leader in the province, and political head of the party’s Umzinyathi constituency.
He was visiting voting stations in the district this weekend when he gave his views to the Courier, saying that the recent Constitutional Court ruling against President Zuma is pivotal in the history of the country’s democracy.
“That is why we have urged all first-time voters to ensure that they are registered to vote on August 3 so we can see effective change.
“It is also a time for the DA to assess its own performance and build on its successes.
“We will field candidates in every ward in the district as we know people are crying out for change here.”
“Our Councillors here have done a wonderful job – without them being at the coalface Endumeni residents would have been in the dark and the problems even worse.”
Mr Mchunu said he was confident that the calibre of people chosen to represent the party would ensure real change if the DA was given a chance to rule.
Asked about the ongoing problems of municipal managers coming and going, the paying of a suspended municipal manager over R80 000 a month in Endumeni for the past two years and other crippling issues at local and district level (there has been no Umzinyathi Mayor since August last year), Mr Mchunu said if it was not for the DA ‘you and the public would not have known about these issues’.
“The DA has an oversight role to play as a watchdog.
“This is the mandate voters gave us.
“We do not want a population entirely dependent on social grants. But investors won’t come to a town where there is a chaotic municipality.
“Our Councillors here have done a wonderful job – without them being at the coalface Endumeni residents would have been in the dark and the problems even worse.”
He said the time was over when voters simply voted on ‘race lines’.
“The DA is a party that is growing in this area which has urban centres and a large rural population. People want change and service delivery – the DA is the proven product.”
Councillor Anthon Raubenheimer added that voters are making ‘more informed choices’ and are voting strategically rather than voting out of loyalty to a party.
Mr Mchunu said the DA’s policy is to create an environment at municipal level that is stable, investor friendly and innovative.
“We do not want a population entirely dependent on social grants. But investors won’t come to a town where there is a chaotic municipality.
“This is what the DA wants to ultimately achieve.”
Asked about the performance of the IEC, Mr Mchunu said he found the workers friendly and helpful and even a last minute change in the Ward 2 voting station from the Oval to Dundee Junior School went relatively smoothly thanks to Councillor Raubenheimer and the IEC staff.
