Two men who have been campaigning for years to keep Grahamstown’s name yesterday said they remained “bosom buddies” even though they were squaring off against each other in the same ward on two completely different political tickets.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Ward 8 candidate Sigidla Ndumo and Independent, Jock McConnachie, said they both still agreed a name change was a monumental waste of money.
Ndumo said he was “begged” two months ago by the EFF to stand for them in the ward despite his opposition to changing the city’s name.
“I told them there was no need to spend millions to change the name when so many people still do not have proper houses or running water.
“They (EFF) agreed it was a waste of money when there were so many other issues to deal with.”
Before accepting however, Ndumo said he met with McConnachie to get his advice.
“I said to the EFF, gentleman I am 70 years--ld and it will be difficult for me to campaign but they still begged me.
“I asked Jock what he thought and he encouraged me to stand saying there was nothing wrong with that.”
Although the ANC and DA candidates agreed both men standing on completely different tickets in the same ward was a strategic attempt to steal votes from the bigger parties, McConnachie hit back saying it was “healthy for democracy”.
“The more the merrier. It is not a deliberate strategy, but if it has the affect of taking votes away from the big parties then it is a good thing,” he said.
A former DA stalwart, McConnachie could not resist taking a dig at his ex-comrades saying: “I always thought the DA favoured more democracy than less.”
DA incumbent Brian Jackson yesterday said it “makes no sense” that Ndumo was standing for the EFF even though he was still opposed to the name change.
“You would have thought the EFF was opposed to keeping the name Grahamstown.”
He said he suspected it was an attempt to take votes away from the bigger parties.
ANC candidate Akhona Gabavana yesterday said she was not worried about Ndumo and McConnachie and their campaign not to change the city’s name.
“The name will change,” she vowed.
“They may split the vote, but we are not afraid of them.”
McConnachie, who recently put the cat among the pigeons when he told Rhodes University students during an election debate that the institution’s name should also not change, said he still stood by those sentiments now.
“We (Grahamstown) will lose a lot if the name Rhodes is changed. There is a lot of inherent value in the name.”
He said even though the university was named after colonialist Cecil John Rhodes and the town after British Colonel John Graham, most people no longer associated them with either.
According to Ndumo, people of all races had been educated at Rhodes – including former President Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla.
“Nelson Mandela never complained about the name... the money that would be used to change both names should rather go to uplifting the people.” — davidm@dispatch.co.za
Grahamstown election rivals united over name
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Ward 8 candidate Sigidla Ndumo and Independent, Jock McConnachie, said they both still agreed a name change was a monumental waste of money.
Ndumo said he was “begged” two months ago by the EFF to stand for them in the ward despite his opposition to changing the city’s name.
“I told them there was no need to spend millions to change the name when so many people still do not have proper houses or running water.
“They (EFF) agreed it was a waste of money when there were so many other issues to deal with.”
Before accepting however, Ndumo said he met with McConnachie to get his advice.
“I said to the EFF, gentleman I am 70 years--ld and it will be difficult for me to campaign but they still begged me.
“I asked Jock what he thought and he encouraged me to stand saying there was nothing wrong with that.”
Although the ANC and DA candidates agreed both men standing on completely different tickets in the same ward was a strategic attempt to steal votes from the bigger parties, McConnachie hit back saying it was “healthy for democracy”.
“The more the merrier. It is not a deliberate strategy, but if it has the affect of taking votes away from the big parties then it is a good thing,” he said.
A former DA stalwart, McConnachie could not resist taking a dig at his ex-comrades saying: “I always thought the DA favoured more democracy than less.”
DA incumbent Brian Jackson yesterday said it “makes no sense” that Ndumo was standing for the EFF even though he was still opposed to the name change.
“You would have thought the EFF was opposed to keeping the name Grahamstown.”
He said he suspected it was an attempt to take votes away from the bigger parties.
ANC candidate Akhona Gabavana yesterday said she was not worried about Ndumo and McConnachie and their campaign not to change the city’s name.
“The name will change,” she vowed.
“They may split the vote, but we are not afraid of them.”
McConnachie, who recently put the cat among the pigeons when he told Rhodes University students during an election debate that the institution’s name should also not change, said he still stood by those sentiments now.
“We (Grahamstown) will lose a lot if the name Rhodes is changed. There is a lot of inherent value in the name.”
He said even though the university was named after colonialist Cecil John Rhodes and the town after British Colonel John Graham, most people no longer associated them with either.
According to Ndumo, people of all races had been educated at Rhodes – including former President Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla.
“Nelson Mandela never complained about the name... the money that would be used to change both names should rather go to uplifting the people.” — davidm@dispatch.co.za
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