ANC’s Midvaal David challenges DA’s Goliath
“HAS the DA mayor heard the story of David and Goliath?” asks Tefo Molakeng, the ANC’s mayoral candidate for Midvaal.
Molakeng was responding to claims by political rival and incumbent mayor Bongani Baloyi that the ANC offered no real challenge to the DA.
“He must remember David and Goliath. A small person killed a big giant. They are going to get the shock of their lives midnight on August 3.”
As a member of an ANC branch in Midvaal, Molakeng has been given the task of winning back the municipality, which has been under the DA's control for the past five years.
Molakeng — a political deployee in neighbouring Emfuleni municipality, where he advises the mayor on issues related to women, children and people with disabilities — was named three weeks ago as the ANC’s candidate.
The DA has been on the campaign trail since the beginning of the year.
“We started quite late but we are doing extremely well. The mood is high and communities are responding very well,” said Molakeng.
“We go to everyone in Midvaal [and] tell them to vote ANC. The ANC has a vision to change people’s lives.”
And although his campaign appears less creative than the DA’s, Molakeng insists that the best way to spread the party’s message is through churches, NGOs and youth groups.
At the heart of his campaign lies the claim that the DA is perpetuating apartheid’s segregation of Midvaal. UPSET: Tefo Molakeng, ANC Midvaal mayoral candidate
“Where you have black and poor, services are not good. Where you have rich white people, the services are good,” said Molakeng.
The ANC claims the DA wants to maintain racial segregation in Midvaal by keeping black people away
“After August 3 the process will start again. A metro will bring huge benefits, financial as well as decision-taking. Metros have the power to build houses and not go through the Department of Human Settlements,” said Molakeng.
Despite claims by the DA that the merger would result in nondelivery of services for residents, it would improve delivery and cut costs, he said.
“In Sedibeng we have four mayors. If we had one mayor, the budget for these four mayors would be invested in communities for service delivery. We have four municipal managers and they receive a lot of money. We must have one municipal manager and these others, the money must go back to communities.”