All eyes will be on Motherwell this Tuesday and Wednesday as political parties push to win the Ward 57 by-election.
While the by-election is set for Wednesday, people who applied for special voting will make their mark on Tuesday.
The by-election in Motherwell, an ANC stronghold, has drawn a range of political parties into the race — including Bosa and the MK party, which have no representation in the Nelson Mandela Bay council now.
Other parties contesting are the ANC, EFF and Azapo.
On Monday, Bosa president Mmusi Maimane conducted a door-to-door campaign in the ward.
Speaking after a public meeting in a field in Ngoma Park Street, Maimane said it was time for something new in the Bay council.
“People can’t keep voting the same and expect different results,” Maimane said.
“This council has been ravaged by too much political meddling, where a municipality ends up with political interference that hinders its ability to deliver services, but now it’s time for change.
“I’m here to encourage this community to take power back into their hands by participating in the by-election and vote for a new councillor candidate.”
Maimane said one of the ways to bring about change in the area would be to conduct a proper and inclusive integrated development plan (IDP) and implement people’s needs.
“We’ve been fighting in this ward to get the local library to be reopened.
“When we talk about service delivery issues such as electricity, water and sanitation and other services, the unique selling point about a Bosa candidate is that he is known in the community because this is where he comes from.
“We don’t impose candidates, we allow the community to decide on its own who they want to represent their needs in the council.”
Bosa’s candidate is Sukoluhle Ndunyana.
“And if a candidate comes from the community, then let the people endorse him so he can start working for them.
“In the event that he stops working for the people and becomes corrupt or whatever, then that same community who made him a councillor has the right to recall him.
“Often in politics you find parties that produce lists and they decide what happens to those candidates, but the issue is when they become corrupt no-one really holds them accountable.”
Maimane said Bosa’s way of electing a candidate made the candidate accountable to the people he or she served, which gave the community greater power.
He said as a party still in its infancy stage, they were only focusing on the Ward 57 by-election and would not be contesting the one in Ward 34.
“When you are still growing as a party you must always ensure you put your resources in the right place, backed by the perfect candidate who is endorsed by the community.
“So we are here also in preparation for the 2026 local government election where we want to have a footprint in this municipality.”
The Herald
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