Residents ‘betrayed’ by DA candidate selection

A GROUP of loyal Democratic Alliance (DA) supporters residing in a largely middle to upper class area, resigned last week because they wanted the party’s candidate for the upcoming local government elections to be an Indian South African.

The aggrieved group, who made up the DA’s Ward 23 executive, claimed the party put up an unsuitable candidate, Xolani Nala, for the upcoming elections.

Residents of Reservoir Hills, Clare Estate and a section of Westville belong to Ward 23.

The outgoing vice president of the ward, Raymond Naidoo, said in an e-mail that they were “angered and shocked” by the DA’s decision to choose Nala.

“We were not consulted by the party’s leadership about Ward 23’s candidate for the coming elections

“Nala lives in one of the informal settlements and is a virtual unknown to ratepayers,” Naidoo claimed.

He asked how Nala, a novice, was supposed to deal with daily problems like power outages, illegal electrical connections and water problems.

“The DA’s choice showed that it has no confidence that an Indian is capable enough to represent the party.

“What an insult, yet the DA boasts that it employed on merit basis. We felt betrayed, therefore we resigned,” Naidoo explained.

Sandy Kalyan, the DA’s political head in the West Durban Region said the allegations made by the group were “spurious, disingenuous and without basis.”

Kalyan said she doubted the authenticity of the letter and that it could be an act of fraud.

She explained that Jayraj Bachu was the DA’s selection panel’s preferred choice, but he fell out of favour with the party.

“He allegedly brought in several people from outside the ward to register for elections and he promised them houses.

“An internal disciplinary inquiry was conducted, in which Bachu was charged with violating the DA’s code of conduct and bringing the party into disrepute.

“His membership was then terminated,” Kalyan revealed.

“Given the candidates that had applied for the vacant position, Nala was the best.”

She also stated that branches had no say in who got selected as candidates.

Kalyan said Nala had been an active member of the DA and while he might not be well versed in politics, he was being developed by the party’s KZN Leadership Institute.

“If Nala has some shortcomings, we have systems in place to address that. If he does not perform, he will be replaced. It is as simple as that.”

“It does not mean because there is a large Indian community in Ward 23 that the automatic choice should be an Indian candidate,” Kalyan reasoned.