ABOUT YOUR X… #LGEMakana2021
SmilingSouth invited ward candidates contesting the 2021 Local Government Elections in Makana Municipality to respond to three questions and provide their manifesto.
Parties/ entities, their abbreviations and links to their full manifestos (where applicable and available): African National Congress (ANC); African Transformation Movement (ATM); Azanian People’s Organisation (Azapo); Democratic Alliance (DA); Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF); Independent (IND); Makana Citizens Front (MCF); Makana Independent New Deal (MIND); Patriotic Alliance (PA); Vryheidsfront-Plus (VFP).
The questions:
1. What are the three most important issues for stakeholders based in the ward you hope to represent?
2. How do you plan to solve them using the mechanisms and platforms available to a councillor in local government?
3. How can stakeholders in this ward be sure that you will work in their interests for the next five years?
Candidates who haven’t yet responded are listed at the end. The order for each ward is alphabetical, according to surname.
WARD 12
READ RESPONSES FROM
Xabisa Bodla, MCF
Ayanda Rachel Kenye-Duma, IND
Mzobansi Nkwentsha, ANC
Mbulelo Ntlabati, AZAPO
Emile Oosthuizen, MIND
Phetole Rasekele, IND
Tiego Thotse, DA
RESPONSES NOT YET RECEIVED
Thulani Tshabalala, EFF
WILL NOT BE RESPONDING
Deon Els, Vryheidsfront-Plus
XABISA BODLA, MCF
1. What are the three most important issues for stakeholders based in the ward you hope to represent?
* Lack of water & leaking sewage
* Lack of safety and security
* Rape, GBV & Suffering of (NSFAS) students.
2. How do you plan to solve them using the mechanisms and platforms available to a councillor in local government?
* Taking concerns to the relevant directorate and council
* Insist on connection of boreholes on campus to the drought relief plant installed on campus with CoGTA funding
* Seek creative ways of employment for the people that rob students to reduce crime.
* Make a follow up with SAPS regarding rape cases & forming focus groups to discuss issues like depression, GBV, rape, etc..
* Help students with their basic needs
3. How can stakeholders in this ward be sure that you will work in their interests for the next five years?
By holding meetings with the community to report back and taking into consideration their issues.
AYANDA RACHEL KENYE-DUMA, IND
1. What are the three most important issues for stakeholders based in the ward you hope to represent?
a) Water – I have a 3 phase proposal that fully addresses the issue for Ward 12 (attached extracts from my manifesto.
b) Work readiness – I propose Entrepreneurship as a means to prepare my constituents for the world of work (attached extracts from my manifesto)
c) Accommodation – majority in my constituency are highly mobile, residing in the ward during the year for studying and/or work. Social Housing Programme offered by Human Settlement Department identified as the most suitable housing program to accommodate this need.
2. How do you plan to solve them using the mechanisms and platforms available to a councillor in local government?
I have attached an audio file where I explain my manifesto proposed solutions for these three points. Listen here:
3. How can stakeholders in this ward be sure that you will work in their interests for the next five years?
My constituents can be assured that I will serve them faithfully for the next five years because while I came here to study, I committed myself to the town by bringing my whole family, husband and children, all of them settled in their schools and social circles. I therefore have no plans to leave the area in the next few five or more years. Also, as an Independent Candidate, my loyalty is to my electorate and no one else.
MANIFESTO (LISTEN):
MZOBANZI NKWENTSHA, ANC
MANIFESTO:
MBULELO NTLABATI, AZAPO
1. What are the three most important issues for stakeholders based in the ward you hope to represent?
AND 2. How do you plan to solve them using the mechanisms and platforms available to a councillor in local government?
i. Close ties with the constituency:
Constant updates about activities taking place in the municipality. Constitute a diverse skilled Ward Committee. Seek mandate from time to time and give regular, quarterly feedback to residents and stakeholders that exist in our ward. Residents to know that – they may, at any time withdraw their mandate should they feel not represented. AZAPO, made a commitment that should any of its councillors fail in their responsibilities, thay would be recalled. Strengthen existing ties between University and Municipality technocrats in jointly improving services in our ward.
ii. Empower young people:
Explore experiential training opportunities within the municipalities (Makana and Sarah Baartman) and businesses for all young people in these municipalities. Support business start-ups and co-operatives.
iii. Service Delivery:
Ensure that general municipality serves are of good quality, are constantly received and are preserved: Support all University initiatives that are geared towards reduction of energy usage, encourage use of grey water and general recycling activities.
3. How can stakeholders in this ward be sure that you will work in their interests for the next five years?
I consider myself as a servant. I have, for the rest of my young and adult life always served those I am with. This ranges from school representative, university student activism and professional expert skills. I represent a Movement with a history of astute, consistent, commitment and fearless leadership – Black Consciousness. Born in this town, having travelled and lived in other parts of the country, I have an opportunity to make Makana great. Greater than how it was when I walked and run around bare feet feeling safe and secured albeit segregated along racial lines.
EMILE OOSTHUIZEN, MIND
MIND has a general plan/manifesto for the whole of Makana and specific plans/manifestos for individual wards. Each of the individual ward plans/manifestos is consistent with MIND’s overall plan/manifesto.
1. What are the three most important issues for stakeholders based in the ward you hope to represent?
The issues affecting one ward are mostly the same issues affecting other wards but the biggest single problem of Makana is the dysfunctionality of the municipality in almost every aspect of its operations. That issue cuts across all wards and cannot be approached on a ward-by-ward basis hence MIND’s slogan: “Let’s fix Makana.”
Ward 12 is an exclusively Rhodes University ward. The university is the most important component of the local economy and students are very important stakeholders of the local economy and of the Makana Municipality. I do not have a hierarchy of specific aims for Ward 12. As the Ward 12 councillor my main responsibility would be as an interface between the university and the local administration and to represent the interests of the university and of students insofar as they are impacted by the provision of municipal services, particularly those who live off campus. The University is directly involved in initiatives to find ways to fix the Makana Municipality, such as the Makana Circle of Unity. As the Ward 12 Councillor I will serve as an important link between the city council and the Circle of Unity to assist in making the initiative a success. I will also involve myself with the local business forum to represent the interests of students as local consumers and I will liaise closely with the Oppidan Union to improve the relationship between students and local landlords and to prevent exploitation of the student rental market. Ultimately, my aim as the councillor for Ward 12 will be to ensure that the relationship between the University and the local authority is a mutually beneficial one and that the experience of students as temporary residents of the city is a positive one.
PHETOLE MARIUS RASEKELE, IND
1. What are the three most important issues for stakeholders based in the ward you hope to represent?
The three most pertinent issues I plan to address are water availability and quality; job creation; creation and promotion of entrepreneurship; safety and security.
2. How do you plan to solve them using the mechanisms and platforms available to a councillor in local government?
I plan to address the water situation in my ward by establishing a filtered water depot that is free to use. This is to enable people to have access to drinkable water. I also plan to use my access at the Municipality to encourage entrepreneurship so that we create employment to the people of Ward 12. I go at length at how I plan to address each issue in my manifesto. The manifesto is attached below
3. How can stakeholders in this ward be sure that you will work in their interests for the next five years?
Firstly, I ran as an independent to ensure I work for the Ward 12 residents and no one else. There will be no political influence in how I deal with issues of the ward. Secondly, I have no campaign funding from external sources so Ward 12 residents can rest assured there will be no outside pressure for me to deviate from the plans I have for them.
READ PHETOLE MARIUS RASEKELE’S MANIFESTO HERE:
TIEGO THOTSE, DA
1. What are the three most important issues for stakeholders based in the ward you hope to represent?
Number 1: You told us that you are tired of living without clean running water on your taps. We listened, and here’s our offer:
As the Democratic Alliance, once elected to take over Makana Municipality, we will:
1. Ensure monthly water quality testing and public reporting of results.
2. Implement a comprehensive water communication strategy to drive water saving by residents and business.
3. Roll out a rain water harvesting strategy for all municipal buildings.
4. Enforce a municipal by-law requiring all new builds to have rain water tanks and gutters.
5. Research and develop waste water recycling at the Makhanda waste water treatment works.
6. Engage the EC provincial government to develop and implement a regional water master plan to alleviate drought and water shortages.
7. Address maintenance issues at pump stations and water treatment works by implementing a proper maintenance plan.
Number 2: You told us that you do not feel safe walking on dark streets, dark streets as a result of the current municipal administration’s failure to regularly service municipal lights on and off campus.
We will fix this!
As Ward Councillor, I will work very closely with Rhodes University’s Campus Protection Unit to identify dysfunctional lights on campus and surrounding areas and ensure they are fixed and regularly serviced!
Student’s safety is of apex importance to us, which is why DASO under my leadership, drove the safety campaign that led Rhodes University to returning to printing emergency contact details behind student cards (so students always have access to the numbers in time of emergency ), pushed for the university to check the functionality of all panic buttons on campus on a weekly basis, tried getting the university to covert the Campus Protection Unit number into a toll free number (out of understanding that students do not always have airtime, yet may find themselves stranded and in need of help anytime) and pushed for the university to increase security personnel and lighting on campus.
Number 3: You told us that you do not feel like your voice matters in this municipality.
Your voice as a services and rates payer in this municipality absolutely matters! I will as a Councillor listen, action and report back to you on all issues you bring forth.
Furthermore, we will establish a listening ward forum, where all Ward 12 students and residents will have the opportunity to present their concerns.
As part of our community communications, we will establish and administer a Ward-12-based Whatsapp broadcast group to disseminate municipal information.
Stakeholders in this ward can be sure that I will work in their interests for the next five in that I have always done so. From when I served as DASO Chairperson, to when I served at Media Officer for HEAIDS at Rhodes, the peoples interests always came first, and will always come first. This is what servant-leadership is all about.
THULANI TSHABALALA, EFF
Response not yet received
DEON ELS, VFP
Deon Els has indicated he will not be responding.
SmilingSouth 
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