Uncle Vern makes song and dance of election
FORGET Mmusi Maimane, Helen Zille or even Patricia de Lille — meet Uncle Vern, one of the DA’s biggest crowd-pullers.
On a regular day, Vern Jeffreys is a procurement officer at party HQ in Cape Town. But come campaign day he is the party’s man on the decks.
Jeffreys is married to mayor De Lille’s sister, Cynthia, a onetime City of Cape Town councillor, and came to the DA from the Independent Democrats with his sister-in-law.
Last week, an hour before Maimane and De Lille arrived in Kuyasa, Khayelitsha, for an event to introduce councillor candidates, Uncle Vern, as he is known by some in the party, was driving around the streets of the township, playing music and preaching the DA message.
“On your marks, get set, we are ready for Mmusi Maimane,” goes the song — apparently De Lille’s favourite — playing from speakers on his blue bakkie.
“Federal leader Mmusi Maimane is here, mayoral candidate Patricia de Lille is here,” cries Jeffreys as the leaders arrive.
From Cape Town to Tlokwe, from Oudtshoorn to KwaZuluNatal, you are likely to see the “blue machine” driven by the 58year-old.
“Uncle Vern mushrooms even when you didn’t expect him,” said DA Western Cape spokesman Anneke Scheepers.
Jeffreys believes his role is crucial: “People don’t normally get the right message on the ground, so we ensure they do. You need to speak to the people the proper way, let them under- stand, do it in their language.”
He puts his mouth where his words are — among his “wingmen” are Thembelani “TK” Kula, who speaks Xhosa, and Joe Petersen and Bradwin Bredekamp, who speak Afrikaans.
“Your language and your music, they change automatically depending on where you are,” said Jeffreys.
His playlist features Here Comes the DA, Jou Lekker Ding and pro-Maimane songs, although his personal favourite is DA JOCKEY: Music man Vernon Jeffreys and his election van in Cape Town Something’s Burning by country music star Kenny Rogers.
“Our country is burning wherever the ANC governs. I specifically play that for them, for Jacob Zuma, that’s for him. People have to convey it to him,” said Jeffreys.
His birthday is on August 3, election day. “We are going to have a big celebration. Normally, I cook a potjie. I got a big pot . . . I love cooking, I cook for my wife,” he said. Cynthia interjected: “Then I look up and the blue bakkie is gone.”
You need to speak to the people the proper way, in their language