The by-election in Ward 2, on December 5, is already dominated by an anticipation of independent candidates to join the race.
Two candidates have so far emerged and will contest a primary election by the registered voters of Ward 2 on Tuesday, October 23.
The candidates will address voters in a joint public meeting where they will also reply to published questions and take questions from the floor.
The meeting will conclude with a closed ballot to elect the candidate.
This real democratic process exposes the flippant appointment of candidates by political parties, based, for the most, on the candidate’s party allegiance and a leadership expectation of control over the candidate.
Political parties appoint candidates that they can control and dismiss those who don’t carry out instructions – even instructions that may be harmful to ratepayers and residents.
The political parties give voters no choice but to elect their representatives from a list forced upon them and they have to accept that a distant political decision can and will remove their choice of representative without even being consulted.
That the management abuse and financial dereliction by the ANC and the DA councils have alarmed residents and ratepayers and damaged Bitou over the past several years, are undisputed.
Francois Geldenhuys and Johann Brummer are two independents that stand for a renewal in local politics where the residents call the shots and not some distant political party leader. Other candidates are encouraged to enter.
In a show of how democracy can be made to empower people, the candidates will present a unified front by accepting the primary result and having the winner progress to challenge the DA on December 5.
The independent candidate, to be determined by the voters of Ward 2, will subscribe to a recall policy.
This means that voters can recall the independent at any time after December 5 and before the next election if they are not satisfied with his performance as a councillor. The independent will be obliged to resign the seat and another by-election will be held.
A vote for a democratically appointed independent candidate can not “split the vote” in favour of one or another political party, as the ANC (which received only 95 votes in Ward 2 on May 18 last year) will probably not contest the ward leaving the contest one between the DA’s Cape Town appointed candidate and an Independent appointed by the people of Ward 2.
The DA and the ANC have had their chances – over and over and over and yet again… It’s time for change; it’s time for the ratepayers and the residents to do the job themselves, the job the DA and the ANC so very obviously can’t do.
The winner of the December 5 by-election in Ward 2 will hold the balance of power in the council.
The independent candidates believe this balance of power belongs in the hands of the voters; the ratepayers; the residents – that such power should be held by the people of Bitou and not by a political party.
December 5 is an opportunity for the people of Bitou to show the entire country what democracy means and how democracy can revive and sustain our land if it is entrusted to the people directly.
“It’s your town. It’s your money. It’s your life. It’s your future. Control it yourself.”
- Joint media release by Hardy Mills and Drewan Baird (issued by DBC)
- No embargo
- Media enquiries: Hardy Mills on 082 894 8223; Drewan Baird on 082 354 2050
Interesting turn of events! Let’s hope that Bitou benefits from the final outcome.
Brummer doesn’t stand a chance in hell as this will be a closely watched election and he won’t have a chance to try and rig the election like he did in 2011 with his partners and the won’t be poor people to buy and bribe,the ward 2 voters will see through him and his partners are no longer with him.
Stirfry. If Brummer and his partners rigged the 2011 elections, the DA has to be very worried. Yet they are fielding a young candidate with no political experience! I agree that with his “Bagage” Brummer might not appeal to the voters in Ward 2. Bitou’s economy has however nose dived during the last 2 years, directly hitting many Bitou Ward 2 Residents, and the blame has to be laid with the (Cape Town) DA who are, through “Remote Control”, directing Bitou Council. Our new, and very experienced, MM might be able to take control back to Bitou but a strong Independent Candidate might take the “Hot” seat.
Although we at JEF fully support the right to freedom of speech we hereby request all our valued readers and comment makers to please refrain from making personal attacks on this site. Let us all try and keep this by-election clean.
Dear Stirfry
What you say is a blatant lie and you know it.
Hardy
Please be so kind as to remove what YOU know to be a blatant lie. Allowing it to stand with your comment is to endorse it and allow the harm it is intended to cause to continue. You know this sort of thing is baseless, harmful and simply a gratuitous personal attack. If this is how you and Francois intend competing, I will not co-operate in the primary any longer.
Dear Johann, I hereby wish to assure you that I personally DO NOT belief for one minute that you rigged the previous election and feel that those who still believe that should in all honestly come up with the proof or keep quite. I trust you find it in order so.
What a political concept. This should be interesting. I just hope all wards can go off in this direction it will be groundbreaking. I am just tired of politicians from organize structures. For once people will be able to really have a voice in council.
Good luck to both candidates
Independent,Brummer will be contesting against the DA and they will be watching each other like hell cos they both know that they are capable of rigging and cheating the processes.Both Brummer and the other independent candidate don’t stand a chance against the unilaterally annointed son of Malcom Craig cos he happens to be family friends with provincial Cabinent Minister Donald Grant.The ward 2 by-election is a foregone conclusion that the DA will win so as to pledge allegiance to the late cllr who passed away as well as to keep the DA in charge.
I’m more critical than most, of the ANC, the DA and Brummer but i would never make an accusation like that without substantiating. Nonsense attacks kill forums…just look at the hateful mess commentary on Politicsweb has become. And, at least, identify yourself otherwise i’m likely to assume that it’s a self-serving political move.
When will the ANC anounce their candidate?
Does this joint media release mean that Mr. Mills now acknowledges that there has been “…management abuse and financial dereliction by the ANC…” in Bitou?
You either have to be completely patriotic, completely idiotic, or completely naïve to believe that there was no management abuse and financial dereliction by any which municipality. I choose to believe I am neither of the above. I only consider substantiated allegations backed with proof before I form my opinion over matters. Provide me the proof or hush please. It’s as simple as that.
If the DA, with all the “Experts” seconded by Bredell to Bitou could not find Corruption by the ANC, in the sence that it could be taken to the Court and succesfully prosecuted, during the past 18 months what is Sceptic talking about. Give us proof, not just empty talk and accusations. To Johan Brummer, you are now in a different world and you have to addopt to the current level of politics in Bitou. But it is up to Ward 2 voters in Bitou to start a big change that could/will change the way politicians behave in the Western Cape. MEC Bredell recently stated : I stand here before you today mindful of the fact that we have as the DA team, brilliantly led by Helen Zille, our National Leader, achieved new heights over the past two years.
Ask anybody in Bitou if they have noticed those “New heights”, SA tourism arrivals increased by 10% this year! In Bitou it decreased by 40% and we are scrambling to get Tourism “organized”. Bitou wake up, Ward 2 wake up, All Wards wake up Enough is ENOUGH.
Stirfry. The “unilaterally” appointed son of Malcom Craig did not pitch at his “Here I am” party. TOOOOO busy! We don’t know if Brummer will be contesting the by-election. Lets wait and see what happens next week when the voters of Ward 2 meet and decide. The ward 2 by-election a foregone conclusion??? With the way the down turn in the local economy has hit everybody’s pocket that will be a big question. This by-election will be very important for Bitou, it will be very seriously contested and will have far reaching consequenses for the whole of the Western Cape. it could mean our survival! lets all take this very serious.
@ Hardy Mills & Lol – Sceptic did not once say that there was any corruption or mismanagement at all. Sceptic therefor does not have to provide any proof of anything. I merely quoted from the press release above (made by Mr. Mills and Mr. Baird jointly). Therefor, all the proof for my question above, is in my post above and in the press release to which it relates. I quote again from the press release made by Mr. Mills himself: “That the management abuse and financial dereliction by the ANC…” In other words, Mr. Mills (together with Mr. Baird) said there was management abuse and financial dereliction, not Sceptic.
I also used to reason like you Sceptic, and then I passed Grade 1.
I am astonished at the level of maturity revealed.
On the comment of Stirfry I do not believe that there was any rigging of elections but Johan Brummer I simply believe that the man has worked tirelessly over the years to get the DA into power, which any politician worth his salt will do for his her party.
So I hope we all stay sober in this debate and stop with the personal attacks on people. After all Johann is now fighting our common enemy.
Marius I fully agree with your sentiments.Amandla!
You guys are making me think now,if I lived in Ward 2 perhaps I would also vote for him, he hates the DA doesn’t he?
That’s no problem guys, we all move our schacks to the rugby field over the weekend, register on Monday as Ward 2 voters, and vote for Brummer!!!! Hell, we might even support him at the pre-lim!
I’m extremely amazed at the turn of events in plett and also at the 360 degrees turn of certain individuls and their views,however some of JB features remains and that of playing the man and not the ball.Case in point is the accusation made by stirfry and he blames it squarely on poor Hardy Mills and JEF and he start threatening them.Once a bully always a bully.
If one makes a 360 degree turn, would that not mean you are still facing in the exact same direction you did before you made the turn?