A stream of councillors across the country have begun walking out of the DA in disgust.
They say they feel used.
The party pretends to be about keeping the corrupt ANC in check, but this is a smokescreen to camouflage its true agenda to maintain baaskap and white privilege.
It places huge pressure on councillors of colour, in particular. They have the honour of representing their people, and the privilege of earning decent salaries. But they can do nothing to improve the quality of lives and services in their communities because they have no power – it is their job to be seen but not heard.
"We must explain to our people why they don't yet have water or street lights, but we can't give them the real reason. We can't tell them that the party we represent doesn't prioritise them," one former councillor told WAARHEID!.
It is not only councillors of colour who battle this deceit. When Jacques Meiring resigned as the councillor for Ward 27 of the Ekurhuleni Municipality he said he could no longer tolerate minority bias. Now Meiring stands ready to spearhead change in his community, for GOOD.
In Vredenburg, long-term councillor Sucilla Van Tura is standing as GOOD's candidate in the by-election for the seat she vacated.
"You can't sell your values and your conscience for a councillor's salary," she said. "I fought hard for my community, but was blocked by my own caucus."
In Oudtshoorn, where the mayor was forced to resign in June, three DA councillors resigned in October over concerns of financial irregularities and racial discrimination. "It has become unbearable with their selective persecution against leaders of colour," Ewa Fortuin, Hendrick Ruiters and Nellie Soman said.
The DA's stock response is to accuse those who resign of having broken the rules. Often, accusations are invented after they have left.
"Suddenly, now that I have resigned, the DA claims I was facing disciplinary charges," Meiring said.
The Oudtshoorn Three also learned they faced charges only after they had resigned. And this was also the case with former Gauteng caucus leader, John Moodey, and former Ekurhuleni caucus leader, Phillip de Lange.
In George, where a dossier of allegations of corruption compiled by GOOD is under investigation by the Public Protector, GOOD is fielding four strong community-based candidates in the November 2020 by-elections: Gammat Turner, Charleen Titus, Richard Hector and Ellen Klaasens.
Their mission is to build a solid base in the council to begin to unravel baaskap in the town.
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