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Stand as a Ward 7 Independent Councillor

By

Alan Straton
Alan Straton

An independent candidate is not affiliated to any Political Party, will not ‘tithe’ a percentage of salary to a political party, will not be required to spend time on party political issues and, theoretically, should be able to dedicate his/her time more fully to the needs of constituents within a ward.

In my opinion – an independent candidate represents true democracy in action as voters will have the ability to choose their representative to ensure that service delivery occurs outside of party political issues. In addition, if an independent candidate decides to donate the portion of salary that would be tithed to a political party to improvement in the Ward he/she will get my vote!

Politically appointed Ward Councillors have to spend a larger proportion of their time on party political issues than the ‘nitty gritty’ work of ensuring that their Ward runs smoothly and that Service Delivery actually takes place.

It is Alan Straton‘s belief that Ward Councillor’s are at the forefront of Service Delivery which should occur outside of party political considerations – once a Ward Councillor has proven themselves as worthy of service then ‘promotion’ to Provincial and National Government should be allowed. Service to a Ward should be seen as a ‘testing ground’ or an ‘apprenticeship’ to test the candidate’s worthiness to hold office.

Normal Ward Councillors are permitted to hold business interests so it makes sense to elect officials that are aware of the concept of ‘time is money’ – this in itself should hasten an independent councillor’s ability to hone in on a problem and find a solution that puts Country, City and Citizen at the forefront of decision making and NOT a Political Party or Councillor.

We pay our Councillors a bucket load of money to service our Wards.

BURNING QUESTIONS:

  1. Do you KNOW who your Ward Councillor is?
  2. Have you met him/her?
  3. If you have a problem do you know how to contact him or her directly?
  4. Has your Ward improved since the last elections?

Any NO answer to the above should already be ringing alarm bells in your head!

Municipal elections will now allow individuals to stand as candidates in wards

To contest a municipal election as an independent ward candidate, you don’t need to register as a party does. You must be nominated and submit the required documents during the candidate nomination period, which is detailed in the election timetable published once an election date has been proclaimed.

Nomination

An Independent Ward Candidate can be nominated by a person (the Nominator) who:

  • ordinarily resides in the municipality in that ward; and
  • is registered on that municipal segment of the voters’ roll.

Requirements

The following documents must be submitted:

  • A prescribed nomination form signed by the Nominator (published before municipal elections).
  • A prescribed acceptance of nomination form (published before municipal elections) signed by the candidate which includes an undertaking to be bound by the Code of Conduct and a declaration that the candidate is not disqualified from standing in the elections in terms of the Constitution or other applicable legislation together with a copy of the first page of their ID book.
  • A copy of the page of the candidate’s ID book on which the candidate’s photo, name and ID number appear (no need to be certified).
  • A precribed form (published before municipal elections) containing the names, surnames, ID Numbers and signatures of at least fifty (50) voters whose names appear on the voters’ roll of any one of the voting districts of the ward the candidate is contesting.
  • The prescribed election deposit of R1,000.00 paid by means of a bank guaranteed cheque in favour of the Electoral Commission.
  • An A5 colour photo (head and shoulders) of the independent ward candidate as first choice, but black and white will not be rejected.

Please note: An Independent Ward Candidate must submit the required documents before the deadline stated in the election timetable.

For more information, please contact the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro IEC Office:

  • Ground Floor, Block F, Southern Life Gardens, Newton Park 70-2nd Avenue, Port Elizabeth
  • (041) 373 8604
  • (041) 373-8621

Ward 7 Independent Councillor

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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.