DA fields candidates for change in every ward across the country

1 June 2016

Today the Democratic Alliance (DA) releases its finalised list of Mayoral Candidates who will challenge in municipalities across the country leading up to the Local Government Elections on 3 August this year. For the first time in the Party’s history, we will be fielding a candidate in every ward and in every municipality across South Africa, to bring the change we need to move South Africa forward again.

After a rigorous democratic process to select the best and most suitable candidates, we are confident that this list is the most diverse in South Africa and the candidates selected will bring the much-needed change to municipalities across the country.

South Africa is a very unequal society, but also a very diverse and vibrant society. Born from a painful past of oppression and discrimination, it has struggled to come to terms with its constitutional imperative both to guarantee equality and to redress the indignities and inequalities that were central to the system of apartheid.

The Democratic Alliance believes that its role is both to redress the past and to build one nation with one future, based on the values of freedom, fairness and opportunity. This vision and these values guide our selection of candidates. Our candidates must understand our country’s painful legacy and must understand the role that they ought to play to redress and reconcile the past. The best way of doing so is to elect competent individuals who can spearhead economic growth, create caring societies, and be responsive politicians.

The process of selecting our candidates followed three stages: any person could apply to become a candidate - and did not require endorsement from individuals or structures. We tried, in this way, to cast the net as widely as possible to attract an array of talented and hardworking candidates. 

In the end 8299 aspirant candidates applied, mostly online via the DA Candidate Selection System (DACSS). 

These aspirant candidates appeared before electoral colleges, and, if successful, were elected to "pools" that were twice the size of the seat target totals in each municipal council. 

The candidates in the pools were, in turn, interviewed by selection panels, consisting of "wise persons" who, while they had the Party's broad interests at heart, were, for the most part, not public representatives. These selection panels were made up of individuals from different spheres of society, including local DA branches, the business community, the education sector, and local and provincial government. Prospective candidates were required to make impromptu speeches and answer questions that tested their understanding of both the policy and philosophy of the Party, and also their ability to translate our policies and manifesto into action

The selection panels provisionally ranked the candidates' lists according to scores which were obtained by these interviews, as well as an evaluation of the candidates' performance either as an incumbent public representative or as a Party activist.

The provisionally ranked lists were then reviewed by the "relevant executive" (usually the regional or provincial executives) to ensure gender and racial diversity, geographic spread, skills and experience. Within defined limits, the relevant executives were allowed to promote candidates or even to introduce new candidates.

The lists were released internally, and an opportunity was provided for appeals. The appeals have now for the most part been finalised, and we will be ready to submit the names of all our candidates by the deadline of 5 pm tomorrow. 

For the first time in our history, we will be submitting candidates for all 4392 wards in each of the 259 municipalities throughout South Africa.

The DA embarked on a separate process to elect mayoral candidates. Provinces had the option to apply to select mayoral candidates, and for obvious reasons, not all municipalities have mayoral candidates. 

The process to elect the candidates differed slightly depending on whether the municipality was strategic or not, but the Party elected the following mayoral candidates to spearhead the campaigns in the municipalities:

Gauteng:

Johannesburg: Herman Mashaba

Tshwane: Solly Msimanga

Midvaal: Bongani Baloyi

Ekhuruleni: Ghaleb Cachalia

Eastern Cape:

Nelson Mandela Bay: Athol Trollip

Kouga: Elza van Lingen

Koukamma: Yolande Le Roux

Beyers Naude: Samantha Jankovich-Besan

Northern Cape:

Sol Plaatje: Surech Kika

Ubuntu: Wilma Schutz

Richtersveld: Rolf Jonker

Nama Khoi: Wouter Jordaan

Hantam: Aubrey Claasen

Emthanjeni: Henning Jacobus Rust

Free State:

Mangaung: James Letuka

Metsimaholo: Linda Radebe 

KwaZulu Natal:

EThekwini: Haniff Hoosen

Msunduzi: Mergan Chetty

Umgeni: Pam Passmoor 

Western Cape:

Cape Town: Patricia de Lille

Matzikamma: Rhenda Stephan

Cederberg: Jimmy Barnard

Beaufort West: Djorge Malooi

Prince Albert: Stoffel Botes

Cape Aghullas: Paul Swart

Oudtshoorn: Colan Sylvester

Kannaland: Joslyn Johnson

Drakenstein: Conrad Poole

Breedevallei: Antoinette Steyn

Langeberg: Henry Jansen

Witzenberg: Barnito Klaasen

Stellenbosch: Gesie van Deventer

Swartland: Tijmen van Essen

Bergrivier: Evert Manuel

Saldanha: Marius Koen

Swellendam: Nicholas Myburgh

Overstrand: Rudolph Smith

Theewaterskloof: Christelle Vosloo

Laingsburg: Bertie van As

George: Melvin Naik

Knysna: Eleanor Bouw-Spies

Hessaqua: Grant Riddles

Mossel Bay: Harry Levendal

Because the DA truly believes in accountable and open politics, our Mayoral Candidates in the battleground Metros have spent close to 1000 days so far on the campaign trail, out in communities and at one with the people.

The ANC has not submitted a single mayoral candidate, showing that they are not willing to participate in this election in an open, transparent and honest manner. 

Thus we once again today say to the ANC - reveal your candidates and let us debate and contest our records in government and our plans for the future.For too long the people of South Africa have suffered under ANC rule, where the provision of basic services and jobs is undermined by ANC-run municipalities.

Since 2011, ANC-run municipalities have plainly shown in this 5-year term of local government that they have abandoned the communities which they vowed to serve in pursuit of self-interest and self-enrichment. 

To the contrary, the DA’s government in Cape Town has delivered the best services, while ANC governments in plentiful municipalities have been marred by maladministration and a breakdown in the delivery of the vital services that mean the most to our people. This is evidenced by the exorbitant R19.4 billion in irregular, unauthorised, fruitless and wasteful expenditure.The DA is an evolving and changing party, and where we govern, we govern well. We are ready to bring change to Nelson Mandela Bay, Tshwane, Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, and other municipalities across South Africa – change that will move South Africa forward again. 

Issued by Mabine Seabe, Spokesperson to the DA Leader, 1 June 2016