What sweeps clean better than a new broom?
As a media hack, member of the fourth estate, churner of copy and paste, bearer of opinion and fluff, thermometer of public opinion, discerner of bullshit and all round cynic the leap from observing, commenting and keeping in check to actually being responsible brings new and welcomed challenges in my life.
On a Ward Council level I have always been a little bemused as to why the political parties represented in council DO NOT band together to make Nelson Mandela Bay a succesful city. And ONLY THEN embark on a fight for absolute control! After all wouldn’t you rather fight for a prize worth fighting for?
My simple businessman’s mind looks at Ward Councillors and wonders what would happen to the wards if we took away:
- The slavish devotion to National Party Politics
- The Party first mindset
- The constant feeding of Party Politics
- The constant state of war between parties
And replaced that with:
- Total devotion to Ward matters and Service Delivery
- A citizen first mindset
- Not glorification of ‘the party’
- A return to working together for the greater good
“Ward and Politics” should NOT be two words used in the same sentence, we should rather use “Ward Service” in the same sentence.
- Will this person serve the Ward, Citizens and City BEFORE self and party?
- Would I trust this person to run my business/look after my house/be godparent to my child/befriend my child/sibling…..
For the last hundred years we have relied on ‘politics as usual’ – maybe the time is NOW to change that thinking on a micro Ward level?
Let the position of Ward Councillor rather be seen as a testing ground, a proving ground, an apprenticeship that could allow a successful Ward Councillor to move onto a Provincial and National Political Stage!
I will stand for the position of Ward 7 Councillor in 2021.
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