Cape Town - With just one week left before South Africans head to the polls for the local government elections, political parties and independent candidates are taking one last lap campaigning for votes in local communities.
In Langa, veteran community activist Vusumzi Mandindi is looking forward to rallying residents to vote for him as an independent candidate.
Mandindi, who participated in the last by-elections and will be contesting for ward 51’s councillorship for the first time, said he believes that the masses are behind him – especially since he has no political ties.
Mandindi said people in Langa identify him as Sivukile Sonele, a name used collectively to identify active residents who are fed up with the current condition of the community and are working to enforce change.
He said: “Most residents know me as Sivukile. That is the shared identity we created as concerned residents who wanted to work for change, as people who are busy every day advocating for the development of our community, for service delivery, and the safety of our people.
“We were tired of the lies and lack of conviction by political parties and their candidates and decided to take on the work and responsibilities ourselves. We believe that as a community we understand better the challenges that we face daily and because of that we are capable of enforcing the correct solutions. However, to do that we need resources and that is why when people asked me to run I chose to stand up.
“In Langa, we are sitting with a problem where we have different sections against each other as if we are living under the segregation laws of the apartheid regime. Unfortunately, our former councillors have done nothing but facilitate this division, and this was made even more so visible with how the housing development initiatives in Langa were handled.
“Currently, there are three housing projects whereby some residents were chased away, some removed from the lists and databases of which these people have been waiting for over 20 years.
“We could no longer stand by and watch and wait. Langa is our community, it deserves better and we know that we can do better as its residents. We have so many issues that need to be dealt with here, I can list a few but nothing is less important than the other, be it crime or the ridiculously high water bills.
“Tell me how people living in communities recognised as poor or disadvantaged can be charged the same as those living in the suburbs.
“Our residents, especially pensioners, are also struggling to access health-care services now that the local clinic was moved to Bonteheuwel. We need it back; how can sick people be expected to travel that far.
“I’m representing the voices and interests of the community. It’s time that people work to liberate themselves instead of depending on political parties that have let us down time and time again. We are capable, we have to do this for ourselves. Langa can be united, and the people govern themselves,” said Mandindi.