Democratic Alliance provincial chairwoman Veliswa Mvenya is back in office full-time after a brief hiatus – and her first programme was the launch of one of the party’s biggest rural branches in Ngqeleni.
The branch, which was launched on Thursday, already has 900 card-carrying members.
Among the new DA members is 82-year-old Matilane Ndzendze, who said that since 1994 he had been voting for the ANC but due to the ruling party’s failure to provide basic services to his village, Elujizweni, he decided to join the DA.
The DA has made inroads in the former Transkei and the party has representation on a number of councils in the OR Tambo, Alfred Nzo and Amathole districts.
Mvenya says her party is already “comfortable” in King Sabata Dalindyebo and is now targeting the Nyandeni municipality, under which Ndendze’s village falls.
“I was a loyal ANC supporter way before the country saw democracy and I hoped our lives would change when it took over the government. But I have seen no improvement in the lives of people in villages.
“Our communities do not reflect the South Africa the ANC promised us in 1994,” said Ndzendze.
Ndzendze is a former mine worker who spent the biggest part of his life in Gauteng. He said leaving the party that liberated him was a painful decision but it was necessary to ensure that his children and grandchildren had a better life.
“I want to try out this new party and see what it does for our village.
“We are not doing this for ourselves – we are doing it for our descendants.
“Look at the condition that school has been left in,” said Ndzendze.
A local primary school, Manzimahle, has been using an old shack and rondavels belonging to residents for classrooms. A contractor was tasked with building a brick and mortar structure for the school, but he left it unfinished.
Nyandeni municipality incorporates the two towns of Libode and Ngqeleni, as well as 79 administrative areas.
The DA made its first foray into the area during the 2011 local government elections, when it secured two PR seats.
Mvenya, who went to open the party’s newest branch, had resigned from the DA in May but withdrew her resignation a day later saying she had been talked out of it by her community.
Mvenya was accompanied by the party’s top provincial office-bearers, including spokeswoman Thabisa Goniwe Mafanya and youth wing chairwoman Khanyisa Daweti.
Next week, Mvenya is going for the UDM’s stronghold Mqanduli.
The area has been in the news for the wrong reasons in recent weeks with residents blocking roads for service delivery protests.
Despite the government’s intervention a large number of residents – mainly ANC voters – have vowed to boycott the ballot box on August3. — simthandilef@dispatch.co.za
DA targets rural villages
The branch, which was launched on Thursday, already has 900 card-carrying members.
Among the new DA members is 82-year-old Matilane Ndzendze, who said that since 1994 he had been voting for the ANC but due to the ruling party’s failure to provide basic services to his village, Elujizweni, he decided to join the DA.
The DA has made inroads in the former Transkei and the party has representation on a number of councils in the OR Tambo, Alfred Nzo and Amathole districts.
Mvenya says her party is already “comfortable” in King Sabata Dalindyebo and is now targeting the Nyandeni municipality, under which Ndendze’s village falls.
“I was a loyal ANC supporter way before the country saw democracy and I hoped our lives would change when it took over the government. But I have seen no improvement in the lives of people in villages.
“Our communities do not reflect the South Africa the ANC promised us in 1994,” said Ndzendze.
Ndzendze is a former mine worker who spent the biggest part of his life in Gauteng. He said leaving the party that liberated him was a painful decision but it was necessary to ensure that his children and grandchildren had a better life.
“I want to try out this new party and see what it does for our village.
“We are not doing this for ourselves – we are doing it for our descendants.
“Look at the condition that school has been left in,” said Ndzendze.
A local primary school, Manzimahle, has been using an old shack and rondavels belonging to residents for classrooms. A contractor was tasked with building a brick and mortar structure for the school, but he left it unfinished.
Nyandeni municipality incorporates the two towns of Libode and Ngqeleni, as well as 79 administrative areas.
The DA made its first foray into the area during the 2011 local government elections, when it secured two PR seats.
Mvenya, who went to open the party’s newest branch, had resigned from the DA in May but withdrew her resignation a day later saying she had been talked out of it by her community.
Mvenya was accompanied by the party’s top provincial office-bearers, including spokeswoman Thabisa Goniwe Mafanya and youth wing chairwoman Khanyisa Daweti.
Next week, Mvenya is going for the UDM’s stronghold Mqanduli.
The area has been in the news for the wrong reasons in recent weeks with residents blocking roads for service delivery protests.
Despite the government’s intervention a large number of residents – mainly ANC voters – have vowed to boycott the ballot box on August3. — simthandilef@dispatch.co.za
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