Across the country, at all levels of government and in many State Owned enterprises, a lack of ethical leadership has seen criminal and immoral looting of state resources. Many leaders have none of the care or compassion for the citizens that they are meant to be representing.
From blatant corruption to structural discrimination, where some groups and races are protected or advanced over others, there are too many leaders who do not look after their own communities and treat people equally. South Africa needs to change the way that its leaders are selected and how they work.
GOOD is doing just that, by insisting that communities be represented by their own people. The era of political parties designating councillors from other areas to represent wards they do not even live in must end.
This new approaches for more direct local government representation is being tested in four upcoming by-elections in George. "These by-elections are very important," said GOOD National Organiser Shaun August MP. "They are an opportunity for us to showcase the calibre of people we want to represent us, to test our systems and begin to prepare for the main course: Local government elections next year."
Under GOODs new rules, Councillors can no longer just be deployed to wherever the ruling parties have promised politicians jobs. Ward councillors must live in the community and be supported by their branch members.
The GOOD Party has nominated four very strong candidates from the heart of their communities to contest local government by-elections on the 11thNovember in George.
The George Council has been embroiled in a series of scandals over the past 18 months. GOOD has submitted dossiers of evidence to the Office of the Public Protector ranging from cover-ups of electricity theft by councillors to a VBS-style transfer of the town's savings, with a handsome commission for the son of the councillor in charge of finance.
"George is at the tipping point," Shaun said. "Our people are saying they feel used by old political parties. They have seen the corruption and can't carry on voting for people who believe some communities deserve better levels of service provision and dignity than others."
Among the most important criteria in GOOD's intensive candidate selection process selection is that communities should be represented by their own people. This means that the ward councillors really know the problems of their neighbourhood and will work hardest to fix them. GOOD has opened its 2021 Local Government candidate selection process. To apply please visit our new website on www.forgood.org.za .
Comments