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 responded are listed at the end. The order for each ward is alphabetical, according to surname.
WARD 8
READ RESPONSES FROM
Ntuthu Blow, MCF
Cary Clark, DA
Jock McConnachie, MIND
Phakamisa Zatu, AZAPO
RESPONSES NOT YET RECEIVED
Thumeka Kwezi, ATM
Ruben Ngxesha, ANC
Xolisa Pinini, EFF
WILL NOT BE RESPONDING
Deon Els, Vryheidsfront-Plus
NTUTHU BLOW, MCF
1. What are the three most important issues for stakeholders based in the ward you hope to represent?
My approach as councillor would be to meet with ward residents and establish what their needs are. I feel that this is line with a citizen’s movement. Building on an overall view as MRA Office Manager [2017 – ongoing]. I anticipate applying myself to issues such as: –
1 Governance
Updating outdated by-laws and ensuring municipal compliance with new by-laws;
2 Safety
Ongoing pothole repair. In the interests of public safety active follow through until completion while infrastructure projects are underway;
3 Finance
Providing accurate municipal bills. Immediately;
but also
4 Health
In the form of refuse removal, clamping down on illegal dumps and ensuring rapid responses to sewerage spills and water leaks.
5 Communication
Assurance that there will be clear communication in terms of the water crisis, the upgrade of the water works plant, transparency and accountability in the tender processes.
Overall improvement in communication, a functioning customer care system and meaningful public participation.
2. How do you plan to solve them using the mechanisms and platforms available to a councillor in local government?
By establishing and learning what legal power/ discretion and limitations you have as a councillor and utilising these powers to conduct direct action.
3. How can stakeholders in this ward be sure that you will work in their interests for the next five years?
I would be bound by the Makana Citizens Front [MCF] code of conduct that explicitly tells me that I am there to represent the interests of the voters and that if I am not committed to it, they have a right to recall.
Most importantly, my constituents will have access to this document, so that they are aware of its contents. Thus creating a ground-up contract.
CARY CLARK, DA
Ward 1 and Ward 8 DA Candidate
1. What are the three most important issues for stakeholders based in the ward you hope to represent?
The three most pressing issues for ward 1 and 8 are as follows:
* A reliable water supply in all areas
* Working infrastructure which include roads, lights, sewerage and rubbish collection and clean ups
* Employment
2. How do you plan to solve them using the mechanisms and platforms available to a councillor in local government?
* To make sure we have stable supply of water in ward 1 I will fight to get ALL the boreholes operational in Riebeeck East, in the rural and indigent areas I will push to have more sustainable boreholes drilled and rainwater harvesting for ALL RDP/indigent dwellings along with a new By Law to ensure that all new builds will have rain water harvesting facilities as part of the building process and to investigate the possibility of rebates for people wanting to install rain water harvesting tanks.
* I would like to see money budgeted for and ringfenced for infrastructure maintenance and to ensure that our SCM processes are dealt with far more efficiently and expediently through proper planning, that stock items needed for proper and quick maintenance is kept on hand and properly check and monitored to ensure speedy delivery of services. I would like to see maintenance schedules published so that the community are aware of exactly where and when it will be taking place so that they can hold the Municipality accountable.
* I will put through a motion to have a dedicated Customer Care line established which is properly monitored with reference numbers to enable people to track their complaints with maximum 72 hours turnaround but less for water and sewerage. I would like to see an immediate cleanup of all sewerage spills especially where it contaminates the rivers and will take this up with the Green Scorpions as well as well as escalating it to out Shadow Minister of Environmental Affairs for urgent intervention.
* I will put through a motion to tag all livestock including donkeys and push to establish a pound facility which is guarded. Work on an aggressive education drive against littering and supply sufficient black bags to all indigent households.
* I would put through a motion to establish a unit with the Traffic Dept which would be able to enforce our By Laws and fine those who do not comply. More staff should be trained for this unit, sourcing these people internally.
* I would like to see far more investment in our youth through skills training and partnerships with Private companies (internships) and Educational institutions like Rhodes as well as skills training for trades and then to give support for entrepreneurs wanting to start their own businesses . Through LED and private/public partnerships encourage investment in Makana to drive economic growth and employment. Working with Businesses and Rhodes to establish a Forum to brainstorm ideas to encourage growth and Tourism in the area.
3. How can stakeholders in this ward be sure that you will work in their interests for the next five years?
* I have been a councillor in ward 1 for the past 5 years and in that time have managed to get the WTW in Riebeeck East refurbished, the roads graded on a number of occasions after applying pressure to the Minister of Transport, succeeded in having additional boreholes drilled in Riebeeck East to ensure that we do not run dry in the drought, have had a satellite Fire Station installed, raised issues to the Minister of Police, assisted a soup kitchen in Hooggenoeg, run a garden competition for 4 years which helped to install 15 jojos, 40 bins and helped people to sustain their families.
* I have put through numerous motions to council and portfolio, dealt with hundreds of complaints with a relatively high success rate, highlighted numerous issues to the Legislature and media, successfully mediated on behalf of our local school with the SGB for teachers, assisted with a case against the Municipality for negligence where a child died and another is brain damaged as a result of playground equipment left broken; assisted our local soccer team to acquire kit, worked with a community member to assist in opening a case of theft of gas bottles within the Municipality and have done numerous oversight visits as well attended almost all scheduled meetings and participated fully.
* At all times I have reported back to the community I represent and will do the same for any ward where I would be voted in as a ward councillor. I am available to assist night and day. My track record and testimonials can attest to my dedication.
JOCK MCCONNACHIE, 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 8 (JOCK McCONNACHIE) comprises the city centre and the residential areas to the south of the city. MIND’s Ward 8 candidate’s top priority is to address urban decay (hazardous roads and pavements; the filthy state of the city centre and adjacent areas; the lack of adequate and hygienic public ablutions; proper provision for & regulated street trading & car guarding; the control of wandering cattle). Virtually the whole of Ward 8 is an official “Conservation Area” and a related priority is that the applicable conservation by-laws must again be properly implemented with a fully functional Aesthetics Committee. A final priority is to revive tourism in Makana as a boost to the local economy. That can only happen if all three Ward 8 priorities receive equal attention and all three are hinged on fixing the problems of the municipality itself.
2. How do you plan to solve them using the mechanisms and platforms available to a councillor in local government?
Our municipality is effectively broken and it is questionable whether any of the mechanisms which ought to be available to councillors are presently available & working. That is why MIND’s first priority is to fix the municipality itself with a total overhaul of its operations and a staffing review to ensure competence and productivity.
3. How can stakeholders in this ward be sure that you will work in their interests for the next five years?
Each MIND candidate has a track-record of voluntary service to the community. They are also standing in their personal capacity and are directly accountable to you the voter. That is your best guarantee that they will do the job you have elected them to do.
PHAKAMISA PATRICK ZATU, AZAPO
1. What are the three most important issues for stakeholders based in the ward you hope to represent?
ACCOUNTABILITY
CORRUPTION
SERVICE DELIVERY
2. How do you plan to solve them using the mechanisms and platforms available to a councillor in local government? AND 3. How can stakeholders in this ward be sure that you will work in their interests for the next five years?
For long term AZAPO has [pushed for councillors] to be directly elected. This will make them accountable more to the voters and less to political parties, Secondly, we think Provincial Governments are a waste of financial resources. We would like them to be abolished and we instead have Provincial Administrative Roles. Personnel and finances would then be channeled to local government. We think they are wasteful and largely [composed] along tribal lines.
THUMEKA CORDELIA KWEZI, ATM
Response not yet received
RUBEN MBULELO NGXESHA, ANC
No response received yet
XOLISA PININI. EFF
No response received yet
DEON ELS, VFP
Deon Els has indicated he will not be responding.
SmilingSouth 
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