Standing up against political ‘mob rule’
Former COPE MP Anele Mda, one of six independent candidates standing for parliament next month, has hit back at those who dismiss the six as a waste of time.
“We do not need political parties and their leaders to appoint themselves as our spokespersons,” said Mda, one of the group making history by being the first independent candidates on the ballot. Another six independents will contest the provincial elections.
“What is it that they think we will go to parliament and lay bare?”
Mda said this week some political parties had denounced the change in the law that allowed independents to stand.
“Party leaders have gone out to say independents contesting is a waste of time. Why are they bothered? Let us waste our own time and our own resources. We are legitimately within the constitutional provisions to stand and go serve our people in parliament without seeking approval from political parties.”
Born into an ANC home, Mda’s journey began in the ranks of the liberation movement. She was a founding member of COPE when it split from the ANC in 2008. She served as an MP for three years.
“I’ve grown in politics to realise that most of the time the expression of one’s view and independent opinion is never embraced and welcomed. We are always viewed as a bloc, we are told by so-and-so what to do and ours is to follow the line of march.
“I’ve never been that kind of person, I’ve always believed that even if I am leading in a collective, I must never lose the individuality that I have.”
Mda said the established parties resented the fact that “we have refused to become a mob in those spaces just so they can use us to flex muscle through numbers”.
“We refuse to be part of the bunch that gives them numerical arrogance We do not need to convince anyone to believe in the value of the contributions that independents are going to make.
“As we speak, there are political parties with a single seat, no-one questions their impact. I’ve always been a leader and I’ve always had a conviction that my journey will not follow the natural trajectory.”
Another independent, diamond dealer Louis Liebenberg, launched his campaign this week saying his entry into politics was a response to his “calling”. “I’ve been in business since the age of 14,” said Liebenberg, who has close ties with former president Jacob Zuma.
“I’m very good at selling, I am convincing. Some people can call me a con artist. When I convince people to do something, they can follow in their thousands. It takes a lot of responsibility because business is risky and if you give wrong advice, people can end up losing a lot of money. There was always this longing to do more and to make a change in our world.” Liebenberg, who has a chequered past in the diamond industry and whose company Tariomix was liquidated this month, said he decided to enter politics because so few politicians had business experience. He said he would like to be in charge of the department of home affairs.
“I will clean the country up like nobody’s business. We need to get these illegal guys out and close the borders. Home affairs needs a dominant person, a Hitler. No crookery, just the will to do the right thing.”
Another National Assembly hopeful, Zackie Achmat, said party politics has resulted in parliamentarians who were more loyal to their party than to the rule of law or to the constitution or the people they were there to serve.
“I am committed to work with any other MP of integrity, who supports the constitution and the rule of law; anyone in parliament who opposes corruption and anyone in parliament who supports pro-working-class policies, programmes and budgets.”
A former ANC member, Achmat rose to fame for HIV/Aids activism. He was involved in founding two civil society movements, Equal Education (EE) and the Social Justice Coalition (SJC) in Khayelitsha, Cape Town.
“Both movements emerged from the dire consequences of inadequate service delivery and infrastructure deficits. EE mobilised learners and parents to advocate for safety, sanitation, access to libraries and inclusive education while the SJC focused on advocating for constitutional rights for those living in informal settlements, using sanitation as a lens to address broader issues.”
Achmat said South Africans cannot simply wait for the state to act; they need “to organise around the challenges they face and work with the government and the private sector to create solutions. When elected into parliament, I will work closely with the movement outside to bring the voices of people back into the halls of parliament.”