The Makana Independent New Deal (Mind) will contest the upcoming local government elections after all, reversing its initial decision not to contest.
The Makana Independent New Deal (Mind) will contest the upcoming local government elections after all, reversing its initial decision not to contest.
On Tuesday, Grocott's Mail reported that the newly formed grouping would not participate in the elections in May, because it had too few candidates. But, three days later, Mind had resurrected itself.
"A day is a long day in politics," said interim chairperson Jock McConnachie, in an email to Grocott's Mail late on Monday. "No sooner had the interim executive committee decided to can Mind, than some decided it was a concept that shouldn't be allowed to die."
Leon Trompetter, a member of the original interim executive, is now the leader of an interim task team that is taking over operations. "We respect the decision that was taken in Saturday's meeting," said Trompetter, "but some of us felt it was vitally important that we, as independents, contest the election as part of the Mind grouping."
The initial decision not to take part in the municipal elections on May 18, according to McConnachie, stemmed from the low turnout of prospective candidates to contest in Makana. The about-turn three days later, according to Trompetter, came when some Mind members realised that without a party, as independents they would fall short of their objectives.
These included changing the party based system currently in operation in Makana, to ensure that an elected public representative was accountable to his or her constituency. "All I can say is that the members of the current interim executive, myself included, have agreed to make way for a reconstituted interim executive," said McConnachie.
"A grouping of independent councillors would be able to change the current party based system, which has proved a failure throughout the Eastern Cape, and our municipality could begin functioning effectively," he said.
According to the website of the Education and Training Unit — a section 21 non-profit company with experience in local government, elections and public participation — a voter in a local municipality, such as Makana, that falls within a district municipality gets three ballot papers: one Proportional Representation (PR) vote for local council, a ward vote for an individual candidate, and one PR vote for the district council (Cacadu, in the case of Makana).
An independent may stand for election in a ward, but cannot do so as a Proportional Representation candidate, because a PR vote goes to a party, not an individual. For this reason, Trompetter said it was decided that they should contest under the Mind banner, so as to stand a better chance of achieving a majority vote in the municipal elections.
"We're not here to play hide-and-seek," said Trompetter. "We mean business. Mind is going to rock this boat."
