Staff Reporter
The DA will only go public in two weeks’ time with its final list of candidates for the local government elections to allow an appeals period to end.
However, congratulatory posts on Facebook have identified people who hope to become councillors in Blaauwberg after August.
Last week, the party’s community operations manager, Francois Berry, posted pictures of candidates for the Durbanville/Blaauwberg constituency.
This post was shared by Leon Alhadeff, chairman of the Table View Ratepayers’ Association, himself an ACDP candidate for local government elections (“TVRA boss plans to run for office,” Tabletalk, February 3). DA candidates heard last week whether they had made it onto the list of more than 400.
In retiring councillor Heather Brenner’s ward (107), the DA will field newcomer Nicky Rheeder, from Melkbosstrand, while Zola Bisholo is the candidate for Ward 104 (Dunoon). On Facebook, resident Alex Lepnik wanted to know who Nicky Rheeder was. This he answered himself a few minutes later, posting “lives in Melkbosstrand and works for the City.”
Councillor Nora Grose, who has often come under fire from residents, will again be the candidate for Ward 23.
Dr Joy McCarthy will not stand for election in Ward 4 (Table View, Milnerton, Summer Greens, Century City, Cape Farms District B ), but is the DA’s candidate for Ward 113, one of five new wards in the City of Cape Town.
This new ward includes Flamingo Vlei, Sunridge and West Riding, as well as Killarney Gardens. In Ward 4, the DA candidate is Thando Japhta.
Resident Martin Essl said he had seen only one familiar name in the Facebook post, to which Mr Alhadeff replied: “The bulk are not known to us, as they work outside of the greater Table View area.”
Hannah Viviers said she could not understand why someone who lived in the ward could not be nominated.
“I give up, getting too old for these games,” she wrote, to which Mr Lepnik replied: “I did not expect anything else. It is not about the community, it is about the party. The apathy in this community is so big; so people have no idea what’s going on.”
Resident Mike Clery pointed to the new Ward 113.
“Maybe we’ll be lucky enough for them not to propose a ‘ward’ councillor who doesn’t live here, knows nothing about the ward, and is simply being rewarded for their party loyalty; with the expectation that the loyalty’s maintained above their constituents’ interests of course, as we’ve come to expect,” he said.
Elsewhere in the City, mayoral candidate Patrica de Lille tops the proportional candidate list, followed by Mayco member for transport Brett Herron.
There will be 231 seats up for grabs in this election, with five new wards and five additional PR seats. The DA holds 136 in the 221-member council.
DA provincial spokesperson Liza Albrecht said according to the Municipal Systems Act, a candidate only needs to be registered in the municipality they stand in, not the ward.
“The DA will not elect a candidate to a ward that we are not certain that person would deliver in efficiently. Every candidate goes through a gruelling process to ensure that they are the appropriate candidate for a ward,” she said.
– Additional reporting Cape Argus
