Second wave of DA mayoral candidates announced ahead of Western Cape elections
DA unveils second wave of Western Cape mayoral candidates as election campaign gains momentum.
Image: Murray Swart/ Cape Argus
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has announced a second wave of mayoral candidates across the Western Cape, as the party ramps up its campaign ahead of local government elections now less than eight months away.
Western Cape DA leader Tertuis Simmers on Monday introduced six candidates who will contest municipalities across the province, saying they would carry the party’s “message of hope” to residents.
The candidates are Koos Steyn (Breede Valley), Yves Blaauw (Cederberg), Dirk Kotzé (Mossel Bay), Marius Koen (Saldanha Bay), Dr Jacques du Toit (Swellendam), and Roelof ‘Boffie’ Strydom (West Coast District).
Simmers said the candidates are ready to “roll up their sleeves and get to work”, adding that the election would determine who governs municipalities and delivers services.
“This election will once again determine who governs our municipalities, who delivers service and who residents can trust to manage their communities,” he said.
He said local government failures directly impact residents’ daily lives, pointing to crises in municipalities such as Knysna, where water shortages, sewage spills and deteriorating infrastructure have been linked to governance failures and prompted provincial intervention, according to previous reports.
“Local government does matter. It matters when the water doesn’t run, as we have seen in Knysna. It matters when refuse isn’t collected and when roads fall apart. It matters when communities lose confidence in those elected to serve them.”
The DA said that in municipalities where it does not govern, the candidates offer residents “a real chance to get the municipalities working”, while in areas it already governs, they will “bolster and build on our proven record of service delivery”.
Premier Alan Winde said good governance is the starting point for effective service delivery.
“If you get the governance right, you then start to build the foundation and platform to be able to deliver services to residents,” he said.
“It actually took us ten years to get where we are now, where audit outcomes are a habit. It’s just what we do.”
He said they deal with corruption “instantaneously”, describing it as part of good governance.
Winde said proper governance ensures that public money is spent where it is needed and enables long-term planning.
“On the back of good governance, you can plan for the longer term, which is exactly what we are doing now with 20, 30 and 50-year plans on the table.”
DA figures said the candidates were selected through a “careful and rigorous internal selection process”, and are fully endorsed by the party.
They added that retaining control of the Western Cape and increasing the number of DA-led municipalities would be key to delivering on the party’s commitments.
Voter registration weekend is set for June 20, as political parties begin mobilising support ahead of the elections.