And, NO, it is not a case of two consonants difference….The following observation is only based upon my impression and anecdotal evidence – the online world may differ! Consider what South Africans do when one of their own excels: First of all we check the name and surname to see if the person is male or female, Xhosa or Venda or Sotho or Afrikaans or English, White, Coloured or Black….And then, based on our narrow interpretation of our community, do we decide whether to praise or deride. The … [Read more...] about The Difference between the USA and RSA
Ward 7
South Africans urged to register to vote this weekend
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, has urged South African aged 18 and above to visit the country’s 23 146 voting stations at the weekend to register to vote at the 1 November municipal elections.The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) will at the weekend hold voter registration between 8am and 5pm. Prospective voters can also use the opportunity to verify their voter registration details, she said. Speaking in her capacity as … [Read more...] about South Africans urged to register to vote this weekend
The Leaders we Remember
14 Sep 2021 By Alan Straton Provided a safe environment Enabled real job growth Defended us when we needed it Recognized, rewarded and loved us Developed us into leaders Inspired us to do more Led by example Gave us positive feedback Forgave us when we made mistakes Put us first in all that they did. #aim4change Tell Your Mates:Ward 7 Independent Councillor … [Read more...] about The Leaders we Remember
Your Vote Influences the Balance of Power in Nelson Mandela Bay – Choose Wisely
This coming Local General Election on 1 November 2021 will determine just where the balance of power in our highly segregated city will come to rest for the next five years.For the first few Local General Elections the choices were Suburbs v Townships – depending on whether the DA or ANC were in the majority. Then we saw the emergence of the Northern Areas becoming contested ground as the Big Two fought to establish ‘crossover’ support. Along came the EFF who entered the fray in the townships … [Read more...] about Your Vote Influences the Balance of Power in Nelson Mandela Bay – Choose Wisely
Understanding the PR Vote in our Ward Elections
I was asked an interesting question today which I had to check.The question was; “Do ALL votes in a Local General Election count towards the PR vote total?” My answer was: “YES, but let me check now that you have thrown doubt in my mind.” According to the IEC: Municipal by-elections in South Africa follow a mixed system. This is a combination of the ‘winner takes all’ and proportional representation systems. When it comes to calculating the final number of seats that goes to different parties, … [Read more...] about Understanding the PR Vote in our Ward Elections
SA’s Most Segregated City
You are here: Home / News / SA’s Most Segregated City 10 Sep 2021 By Alan Straton The image below represents to social tapestry of Nelson Mandela Bay – based on the 2011 Census results. One can see quite clearly that we are a very divided city – one that needs social cohesion and loads of work to normalise our lives. Nelson Mandela Bay – SA’s Most Divided City Nelson Mandela Bay deserves better as we are the center of the struggle movement and boast many experienced struggle activists along with … [Read more...] about SA’s Most Segregated City
Diarise 1 November 2021
South Africans will head to the polls on 1 November 2021 to elect the political leadership of the country’s 257 municipalities, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma announced.The announcement of the election date came after the Constitutional Court on Friday refused the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC) application for the postponement of the elections. The IEC in May appointed former Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke to lead … [Read more...] about Diarise 1 November 2021
First quarterly report on party funding released by IEC
Only three political parties made declarations of qualifying donations received from donors, the Electoral Commission revealed on Thursday.Releasing the 2021/22 first quarter Party Funding Disclosures Report, IEC Deputy Commissioner Janet Love said the political parties funding regime makes it peremptory for all registered political parties to disclose to the Commission all donations above the R100 000 threshold in a year. Love said the total value of these declared donations in the first … [Read more...] about First quarterly report on party funding released by IEC
Voter and Candidate Rregistration for LGE Re-opened
The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) has welcomed the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC) decision to reopen the voter and candidate registration for the 2021 local government elections.In a statement on Tuesday, the Committee said it is aware that the announcement came after the Constitutional Court dismissed the IEC’s application to postpone the elections until a later date, due to safety concerns as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The … [Read more...] about Voter and Candidate Rregistration for LGE Re-opened
Important Dates Ahead of the LGE
A special vote allows a registered voter who cannot vote at their voting station on election day to apply to vote on a predetermined day before election day.Applications for special votes will open on 20 September 2021 and close on 4 October 2021. By law, you can apply for a special vote if you: Cannot travel to your voting station because you are physically weak, disabled or pregnant; or Cannot vote at your voting station on election day. To register for a special vote you can apply online, … [Read more...] about Important Dates Ahead of the LGE
I am NOT going to ASK you for Your Vote
BUT, I am going to ask you TO VOTE.Please make sure that you are registered for the upcoming Local General Elections and GO AND VOTE. Your Vote is your Privilege, Your Right and (mostly) Your Secret. CLICK HERE to see important dates and info on how to Register or CHECK that you are registered to Vote. Let’s make the 2021 Local General Elections the one that astounds everyone with an incredible turnout. Author: Alan Straton from Ward 7 Nelson Mandela Bay. Go On - Share the Gqeberha Love! … [Read more...] about I am NOT going to ASK you for Your Vote
Electoral Commission complies with Con Court ruling
The Electoral Commission says it has already taken measures to ensure that it complies with the orders of the Constitutional Court relating to the conduct of municipal elections by 1 November 2021.The Constitutional Court last week ruled that the elections must take place between 27 October and 1 November this year. Addressing the media in Pretoria on Monday, the Commission’s Chairperson Glen Mashinini assured South Africans that it will spare no effort to deliver a credible process guided by … [Read more...] about Electoral Commission complies with Con Court ruling
IEC Preparing to Comply with Constitutional Court Orders
The Commission has already taken measures to ensure that it complies with the orders of the Constitutional Court relating to the conduct of municipal elections by 1 November 2021. Although the orders were handed down without a reasoned judgement at this stage, it is important that the Commission proceeds with deliberate speed to comply with the decision of the Constitutional Court in the fulfilment of its mandate, notwithstanding current circumstances.The Commission is of the view that it must … [Read more...] about IEC Preparing to Comply with Constitutional Court Orders
One can only Say; WOW and THANK YOU!”
This was recently posted on Facebook:“Neil Campher has got my vote some time back already under Abuntu Integrity Movement. I’m with you Michael on this score. I last carried an anc membership card when the anc was still banned. I gave them 4 votes Provincialy and Nationaly. Same with local government elections. I said I would give the movement 20 years to make inroads into impoverished lives. That I did even more. They have failed in all aspects due to greed. Neil was spoken highly of by my late … [Read more...] about One can only Say; WOW and THANK YOU!”
The Local General Elections are ON and you have SEVEN Days in Which to Register
The Constitutional Court today dismissed the application by the Electoral Commission of South Africa to postpone the elections to 2022.The determination is that the IEC must, within three calendar days of the order, determine whether it is practically possible to hold a voter registration weekend and must notify Dlamini-Zuma of its decision. Should the IEC not find it practical to hold voter registration weekend, the court ordered that Dlamini-Zuma, no earlier than 10 September, issue a … [Read more...] about The Local General Elections are ON and you have SEVEN Days in Which to Register
