By Ayabonga Kosi
The Democratic Alliance (DA) held a gathering with its constituents on Thursday, featuring the esteemed mayor of uMgeni Municipality, Christopher Pappas, as a guest speaker, alongside provincial head Andrew Whitfield.
The goal of the day was to promote the party and show how the DA can bring change to Makhanda much like Pappas did with his municipality in the KZN.
Touching on the matter would be Pappas himself as he eloquently drew parallels between his municipality and Makana. He spoke on how for 27 years, uMngeni was run by the ANC and how with patience, they were able to gain support and eventually win at the municipal level. “We got closer every single time.”
Pappas lamented this could not be done without the help of local society, businesses, and local experts. He expressed that due to the trust they had in their community, they were able to galvanize a movement that saw them eventually have a majority election win in 2021. “The whole of the KZN Midlands got behind us and we were able to transform and change the government in the uMngeni municipality.”
Andrew Whitefield shared similar sentiments when looking at the party’s standing in Makana and the Eastern Cape as a whole. He stressed the need for support from local communities like Makhanda, not only as supporters, but as constituents willing to engage in public service roles as well. He stated, “We must grow in all communities and attract business leaders from Makana, we cannot bring outside leaders.”
Pappas also added to the importance of voting. He spoke on how when they won their votes it was only by 42 voters. He emphasized the only road to change is being an active citizen. He said: “Democracy requires you to get involved and to be active. It is possible to win municipalities and turn them around.”
Both Pappas and Whitfield raised concerns about prevalence of cadre deployment and corruption in ANC-led municipalities, denouncing them as hindrances to efficient governance. Drawing from his own experience in the KZN-based municipality, Pappas spoke on how to deal with the issue by tracing paperwork and addressing those in the wrong head-on. He said: “It is not that hard to get rid of people who are doing the wrong thing. Evidence is everywhere, especially when you are inside.”
The gathering heard that most of the issues facing municipalities are man-made. Whitfield said the solution was placing the right people in charge to create solutions for these problems. He also acknowledged that it may take some time but there are solutions to the problems.
Later on in the session, a comment made by local attorney Brin Brody led to Whitfield discussing the case of the dissolution of the council in Makana Municipality, and how after that case, many former members and public servants of the DA splintered off and founded their political parties.
Whitfield stated: “We only achieved 18% of the vote in the 2021 elections. It is something Makhanda is no stranger to, having a variety of smaller parties.” He acknowledged this and expanded on how it has led to the splintering of voter support. He stressed that now there is a need for collaboration among smaller parties to challenge the dominance of the ANC. Whitfield envisioned that these partnerships or coalitions, with the DA being at the centre of them, would allow for proper governance of Makana.
Through the session, the party leaders would touch on many aspects including dealing with overtime and the party’s controversial ad campaign. Whitfield stressed the importance of having strong leaders and managers in place to deny overtime and having the trust and understanding of the community when it leads to go-slows or strikes. Explaining the controversial advert, he spoke on how the “burning” of the “flag” which was computer-generated imagery (CGI) was representative of the negative place the country has been heading down and how the DA can change that.
The DA spoke on how their commitment to grassroots engagement, local leadership, and collaborative governance are essential ingredients for realizing Makhanda’s transformative potential using their example of uMngeni Municipality. They hope that the party can bring the change in municipalities like Makana but are aware that it is a process that will take time.
