President Thabo Mbeki has appealed to all parties to ensure their candidates for the upcoming municipal elections have the interests of their communities at heart and not self-interest.
Replying to questions in the National Assembly on Thursday, he said there appeared to be intense competition among people wanting to be elected by their parties as candidates for the elections.
”I’ve been told, for instance, that in some instances people will even come to meetings with guns to ensure they get elected… in some instances people threaten to destroy the very organisations which they want to represent in the councils; they threaten to destroy them if they don’t get elected as candidates.
”I’ve heard of stories where people have been organised to carry out clearly lawless acts, which have involved burning down houses and so on, in order to eliminate people [that would be their opponents as candidates].”
Mbeki said there were many people serving on councils who thought being a councillor was to ”access resources for themselves… that people think that by becoming mayors and councillors, they’ll be able to access resources that they
otherwise would not”.
Finance Minister Trevor Manuel had persuaded the Cabinet to agree that in the Municipal Finance Management Act, councillors were excluded from the tendering processes, precisely to address this.
It was necessary to ensure that the provisions of the Act were honoured. It was a critical legal instrument in addressing the issue, he said.
”But nevertheless, it does seem, I’m saying from the stories I hear, that people still continue to act in this manner, which in reality shows disrespect for democratic processes, disrespect for the will of the people, to say I’m going to use unacceptable means to ensure that I get elected as a candidate.”
Some of those lobbying for support even made specific promises of patronage after their election, which was not in the interests of the poor, he said.
”It’s quite obvious, that there is very prevalent in our society, a very strong acquisitive, materialistic spirit… and therefore this drive for people to acquire wealth as quickly as they can without regard to any legality.”
Local government needed people respected by those they represented; people loyal to the concerns and interests of the ordinary people.
Parties had to find them, and do whatever was necessary to ensure the self-seekers did not emerge triumphant.
”If we don’t do it, then we are going to continue to face crises with regard to local government.
”It’s a matter of concern, and I would appeal to all parties to make sure that we deal with this matter, particularly because of the great importance of the system of local government, which is the coalface of delivery in terms of the improvement of the lives of our people.”
The problem was at party level, and it was necessary for all parties to act firmly against this kind of behaviour and ensure the elections were peaceful, free and fair, Mbeki said. – Sapa