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Community Involvement in Local Government Elections

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www.MyPE.co.za: The African National Congress (ANC) plans to put a system in place that will allow for greater community participation in choosing candidates for the 2011 local government elections.

Delivering his annual January 8 statement, which traditionally is the start of the political year, the ruling party President, Jacob Zuma, acknowledged that problems still continue to plague certain municipalities.

“We acknowledge that there are problems in certain municipalities which are being attended to. There are also a few councillors in some areas, who are, for various reasons, not performing their tasks in an acceptable manner. We have already removed many such councillors from office already in some areas,” he said.

Zuma said that the ANC government would continue to address the problems that have plagued local government in recent months, adding that it would ensure that cadres who were ready and willing to provide the diligent, selfless service that the ANC stood for would be deployed.

“We are also still convinced that senior municipal officials should not hold executive leadership positions in political parties. We will be vigilant in ensuring that ANC structures abide by this principle, while looking at other mechanisms to address the challenge.

“At the end of the elections we must be left with stronger structures, more accountable and responsive councillors, as well as branches that are in touch with their communities and able to drive transformation and development,” he said. – BuaNews.

Editors Notes: Other parties have a clear and auditable system of choosing candidates for the positions available on a local level, maybe it is time that the ‘people’s party’ demonstrated a similar method of selection as opposed to selecting the ‘most popular’, the ‘most likely to send a tender my way’, the ‘most likely to support my bid for presidency’ or the ‘most likely to pay me’!

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.