YES I do get to the point in my closing paragraph!
Old people (like me) are forever saying; “Where there is smoke there is fire!” and “Nip it in the bud!”
Editors always instruct their journalists; “Follow the Money!”
It has long been an open secret that the smaller political parties in Nelson Mandela Bay have been in a position to be Kingmakers – with the ANC and DA almost neck and neck at every election both parties spend an inordinate amount of time horse trading and offering plum positions to minority players in council.
Rochelle De Kock advertised this morning’s Herald in her tweet saying; “Do it for the PA, for us coloureds… Name your price. I’ll meet you anywhere, any time…. Get your copy of @HeraldPE today to read all about what happened behind the scenes ahead of the vote which saw Nqaba Bhanga elected mayor #NMBCouncil @Zima_B_Nkosi @michaelk197”
At the end of the day by offering these minority players plum positions the bigger parties are actually using ratepayer money to effect a bribe in order to stay in power.
Today everyone is up in arms over allegations of money changing hands for votes during last week’s special Council Meeting on 28 January 2021 called to elect a new Executive Mayor for Nelson Mandela Bay – an election won by the DA and their alliance partners the Coalition of Good Governance.
As an aside – if a few parties agree to an alliance then would it not be fair for them to ALL be ‘renamed’?
NOT ONCE in my time as an impassioned observer have I ever experienced Councillors fight over whether an increase in their salary is fair – watching them, en masse, approve an increase for themselves is fairly disquieting. Of course they all say that the increases are mandated by Provincial and National Government so they are just rubber stamping this further robbery of the ratepayer. BUT, should any of them disagree with any decisions by Provincial or National Government then they are very quick to haul them into court.
JUST ONCE in my lifetime I would like to see a political party refusing to action an increase and, if necessary, take Provincial or National Government to court over that!
In situations where bribes become public knowledge a witch hunt always occurs with the political party bringing the action always naming individuals and branding them as rogue members acting on their own.
In situations where an individual member of a political party brings positive focus and does good then the political party as a whole is quick to take all the glory.
Old people (like me) are forever saying; “What is good for the goose is good for the gander!” Ask you parents what that means with regards to the above!
WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?
It is time to get rid of the career politicians who have become stuck in their (more than comfortable) ways and vote for a non-political political party or independent candidate not there for the money or career but there to make a difference by putting people and the city before the needs of the Ward Councillor and Political Party.
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Alan Straton
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