One South Africa (OSA) leader, Mmusi Maimane, said they will be taking part in this year’s local government elections. But the former Democratic Alliance (DA) leader said that their involvement would not be as a political party but rather offering support to independent candidates by endorsing them.
Maimane made the announcement at a briefing on Monday.
One South Africa’s Maimane is not a fan of the party political system, which he was part of for years as DA leader.
He said the focus should be on independent candidates not affiliated to any political party.
“So, in this way, we recognise that in communities leadership is not spare, it’s leadership that is not affiliated to political parties and we’ve decided that we are going to work and support a cohort of independent candidates chosen from their communities.”
Maimane said that One South Africa’s support for independents will be in the form of financial and other resources.
“I know, like you, that running a campaign is not easy but we want to work with these candidates to ensure that we can raise the appropriate resources so that these men and women do not get swallowed up when the political parties bring their financial muscle.”
Maimane said those independent candidates the party would endorse must have community-based support and be beyond reproach.
He said tainted individuals would not be supported like they were in certain political parties.
“They must lead from ethical leadership and be held in high esteem in their communities.”
Maimane said political parties had failed South Africans and were not the solution.
“Political parties have long forgotten, in many ways, about the plight of the citizens on the ground. I go to communities like Atteridgeville and watch how people have been impacted by floods and no one is responding. We’ve normalised what has become abnormal.”
He said that those who wanted to contest the elections must do so by 1 March.
Talk Radio 702
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