Two former ANC ward councillors in the Buffalo City Metro, who resigned from their party and council to join the Patriotic Alliance, are hoping to make a return to council by June.
Eastern Cape Electoral Commission (IEC) spokesperson Julie Stanworth confirmed that by-elections have been declared in two BCM wards following the resignation of Ward 1 councillor Kuhle Ciliza and Ward 10 councillor Pearl Hansen.
The by-elections are scheduled to take place on June 17.
Ciliza, Hansen and former ANC PR councillor and mayoral committee member Graham Lottering joined Gayton McKenzie’s party earlier in April.
While Ciliza could not be reached for comment on Monday, Hansen refused to confirm whether she would be contesting the by-elections, saying she “cannot say anything as yet in that regard”.
We are confident they will retain the wards under the banner of the Patriotic Alliance
— Graham Lottering
However, Lottering, who said he was the PA’s campaign manager for the by-elections, confirmed on Monday that both former ward councillors would throw their hats in the ring when the polls took place in June.
“We have been on the ground in Ward 1 already and the people there have shown a serious appetite for the [PA] as they are sick and tired of how the ANC is doing things in their area,” Lottering said.
“Both [former] ward councillors had been popular in their areas and would definitely contest again when these by-elections are held.
“We are confident they will retain the wards under the banner of the Patriotic Alliance.
“Come June, we will be more than ready to take over such wards.”
Ward 1 encompasses areas such as Braelyn, some parts of Duncan Village and Pefferville, while Ward 10 includes areas such as Vergenoeg, East Bank, Haven Hills, Egoli township and some parts of Buffalo Flats.
“People there are hungry for change as they had been short-changed for service delivery, which had been provided on a factional basis in many BCM wards,” Lottering said.
“When these two former councillors had raised such complaints with the city administration and political bosses, they were treated with disdain, and they were compromised in the eyes of the people in their respective wards.
“With the by-elections coming in both those wards, we are confident that the communities would again place their support behind these two leaders.
“And I can tell you now, playtime is over for the ANC in the municipality and a coalition government will be in place in BCM after the local government elections later this year.”
At the time of their resignations, the three councillors listed a plethora of challenges within the ANC-run municipality, which prompted them to eventually jump ship.
They accused the ruling party’s regional leadership of manipulation and interference and said service delivery in their areas had been compromised.
The disgruntled trio alleged:
- Manipulation and interference by the ANC regional leadership in branch general meetings (BGMs) ahead of the party’s Dr WB Rubusana elective regional conference in December;
- The employment of people from other wards on municipal projects in one ward without proper consultation;
- The marginalisation of coloured women in council structures; and
- Compromised service delivery.
The ANC chief whip in BCM, Sangweni Matwele, said the metro’s political leadership would meet on Tuesday, and the upcoming by-elections would form part of their discussions.
Matwele, however, said the party was more than confident of reclaiming the two vacant wards.
“We always win, all the time, and this time would be no different,” Matwele said.
Daily Dispatch
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