Former Bok coach De Villiers in mayoral race
FORMER Springbok coach Peter de Villiers has been named as the Good Party’s mayoral candidate for the Drakenstein local municipality.
Party leader Patricia de Lille yesterday named the party’s eight mayoral candidates for the upcoming November local government elections.
Candidates are for the following municipalities: Beaufort West, Drakenstein, George, Johannesburg, Kimberley, Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB), Saldanha Bay and Tshwane.
De Lille said the candidates are serious contenders, with proven track-records, who have “earned the trust of their communities and have no need to tell any lies about their qualifications”.
“They include experienced members of professions and the business sector, former senior councillors – even a national icon. They have emerged from competitive selection and vetting processes, and they’re ready to lead with honour, integrity and diligence,” De Lille said.
The mayoral candidates include De Villiers, Ryan Don for Saldanha Bay, Donovan Saptoe is running for mayor of George, Elizabeth Johnson for Kimberley, Lawrence Troon for NMB, Llyoyd Phillips for Johannesburg, Shariefa Essop for Beaufort West, and Sarah Mabotsa as Tshwane mayor.
De Villiers coached the Bokke from 2008 until 2011. Under his leadership, the team won 30 of their 48 matches.
Speaking to the Cape Times yesterday, De Villiers said politics has always been part of his life.
He said if he were elected, he hoped to bring equality to the community.
“I think God has broadened my playing ground, where I used to work with 30 players and now to working with an entire community,” he said.
On his mayoral candidacy, De Lille said De Villiers has been a leader all his life. “He knows the pressures of expectation and the powers of teamwork. How to manage and motivate people into giving their best. How to break through false ceilings and scale global heights.
“Rugby’s loss is Good people’s gain. Peter is passionate about levelling the playing field in his hometown of Paarl. He wants to build a common understanding among the people, rich and poor, of the links between dignity and justice, on the one hand, and stability and prosperity on the other,” De Lille said.