Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Twigg, August outline objectives for contested City post
If that is a faction, then that’s that, but you’re always going to have people who either agree or disagree with you.
After that episode we’ve worked together in council. He is a colleague. We work for the city, with the priority being the interest of our communities. But we’re not house friends, if that’s what you’re asking.
I was born in the ANC. I’ve actually gone around the political map, having also been in the UDM and ID. I resigned as a UDM councillor in the mid2000s and although I had the opportunity to cross the floor with my position, when legislation allowed that, I took the principled decision of giving the UDM the position and left for the ID.
Subsequently, I was convinced by Zille to come over to the DA. At that stage I started strengthening DA structures in Kraaifontein.
Crime, housing and unemployment remain our biggest challenges. There are a lot of things we can do as a structure in the metro. I’m a councillor for Scottsdene, a crime-ravaged area, and I have met suspected gangsters to ensure they understand that City workers should be allowed in the communities so they can deliver services. I’m not in the position to stop gangsters from fighting, but I can approach them to explain that their actions deter us from delivering services to their families.
One of the things that can be done is getting activists more involved. We’ve got a solid blue machine on the ground in the metro. If I become chairman, our branches will not only be used for electioneering. I would look at educating our structures. We need more grassroots leaders.
In the short term, I would like to see the City giving services to communities that need them most, and prioritising better. If I become a metro leader, I will try to influence structures so we could get more buy-in from them. In the long-term, I see myself as one of the key players who will take the city to the next level. We will make sure we increase our voting outcomes and that the city remains a flagship of the DA and the country. In the 2019 elections, I’m hopeful the metro and the province will deliver large numbers to the DA’s national tally.
I think I’ve done a good job in the short term I’ve served. I was involved in the growth of the DA. We’ve achieved a 66.6% increase in votes in the last municipal election, where I think I, surrounded by a good team, did a very good job as the campaign manager.
I was heavily involved in the door-to-door campaigning. Based on my election campaign experience, I will be able to take this region to the 2019 elections and deliver.
Grant also comes from the DA. We’ve shrugged the term “ID members” off. Even during the 2015 lobbying process, it was used against us, and Grant used that tag against me before the previous elective conference, but it made people vote even more for me. I won 197 votes to Grant’s 68. He has stood six times for the position and he’s lost each time.
In terms of the mayor ushering her people into positions, that’s not true. I’m not her favourite. I have a working relationship with her (that stretches) 12 years.
I was her protector from 2006 to 2008. The party follows process when it hires candidates or employees. And it’s also not true that if you’re chairman of the metro, you’re likely to land the mayor’s position.
I wouldn’t see it as factionalism. I had an engagement about that with one of our youth members. I said there are lobby groups and people lobby for specific individuals. In the DA, people express their rights and after congress we unite to focus on service delivery.
Myself and Grant are colleagues. We speak when we need to speak. We are not friends. There is no hate between us. We both serve in the caucus, and we met about four months ago. I think he is well aware that the suspension was a collective decision. Yes, there may be a little tension from his side because there was a drastic step taken. The ID was the first polit- ical party I joined. I quickly became party manager. All the 16 by-elections we won I was the campaign manager. I won the Macassar by-election when Helen Zille was the mayor. For a party to beat both the DA and the ANC in by-elections, it tells you something about the person behind the machinery. We merged in 2010 with the DA. In 2011, I was a candidate for Ward 67 (Vrygrond).
In 2012, I was elected deputy chairperson for the metro region, with Grant Pascoe as chairman. When he left, I took over in as acting chairman until 2015, where I was elected as chairman.
We definitely need to create opportunities for youth. We need to understand them, firstly. We need to create job opportunities and an entrepreneurial culture. Our children don’t attend school. We should also look at our social issues.
We’ve united a team of activists, chairpersons of branches, councillors, public representatives and members to achieve that 66.6% results in the elections. We have mobile offices and social projects, among others. We’re on the ground continuously.
My short-term plan is to become the chairperson again. Long term… I’m not there yet. I take it step by step. We’ve mapped our way forward up until September 16. We will revisit the drawing board after that.