Why vote for an independent candidate?

The party based system of local government is definitely weighted in favour of the parties and as they consider their options voters may well ask why they should vote for a stand-alone, independent candidate?

The answer lies in the fact that when choosing a ward candidate the emphasis should rather be on the qualities of the individual candidates rather than the parties they represent. Ward candidates represent specific constituen- cies within the municipality and their first duty should be to their constituents rather than the party they represent. An independent candidate with the requisite qualities is best-placed to discharge that duty since, if elected, they are only accountable to their constituents whereas party candidates are always accountable first and foremost to the party they represent.

Lena May has been the DA’s Ward 4 Councillor for the past two terms.

Ward 4 is in two parts: the more affluent community served by the Graeme College and St Aidan’s voting stations and the largely impoverished community served by the Recreation Hall, most of whom reside in the area known as Scott’s Farm.

May lives in Scott’s Farm and is therefore the ideal person to represent the interests of Scott’s Farm having firsthand knowledge of the issues affecting them. May has also been one of the most if not the most hard-working of the DA Councillors and quite possibly of all 24 of the Makana councillors. The experience she has gained as a councillor during the past ten years is also invaluable.

Yet the DA positioned her at the bottom of its line-up of PR (Proportional Representation) candidates, giving her virtually no chance of re-election as a DA Councillor. May’s response has been to stand as an independent.

She is certain to secure most of the Recreation Hall vote but her fate lies in the hands of the voters of Graeme College and St Aidan’s.

By voting for her as their ward candidate not only will they be voting for the candidate who has all of the neces- sary credentials to be the most effective ward candidate but they will also be sending an important message of support to the most disadvantaged segment of the Ward 4 who she has served so well.

If there is a concern among Graeme College and St Aidan’s voters that May may be so preoccupied with the very real, day-to-day problems of the Recreation Hall constituents that she may not be able to give enough attention to the