Veteran Lowe sets sights on Durban North return
FORMER Durban North councillor Mark Lowe says backstabbing and gatekeeping are why the DA has rejected him as a candidate for the ward in the by-election next month.
Not willing to give up, Lowe, a former MP and MPL, who was a councillor for ward 36 for about 11 years and a former deputy mayor, said he would stand against his party as an independent candidate if pushed.
His appeal against his rejection was turned down by the DA.
The vacancy comes after former ward 36 councillor Dean Macpherson was promoted to the national Parliament.
Lowe lives in Cape Town but has properties in Durban. He said he was excited when the vacancy came up but this was short-lived when his application to be a candidate was turned down. This was because his name was not on the provincial voters roll, something he said was easy to change.
“I believe I will add great value, experience and ability to the Thekwini council and I have a great deal of support,” he said.
Lowe said he was sorry this could not be done with the support of the DA. “We should be working together, for the betterment of Durban,” he said.
In response, the DA’s provincial chairman, Haniff Hoosen, said there were “material deficiencies” with Lowe’s application forms.
Hoosen said Lowe was not registered on the KZN voters roll but had a week to do this.
“He missed the cut off-time of 5pm on May 18. He did not sign the application form, he had no proposer, nor was he seconded, and the declaration part was also not signed,” he said.
“If you can’t fill in a simple form, how can you be a councillor,” he asked.
According to Hoosen, 14 other applicants were rejected by the party.
Thekwini Speaker Logie Naidoo said Lowe was a “seasoned” politician and he did not understand why the DA was not using him.
“If he does come in as independent then it will be a fight between the ANC, the DA and him in that ward,” he said.
Provincial chief electoral officer Mawethu Mosery said an independent candidate had to be a registered voter in KZN, have 50 people who were also registered voters to nominate them as their councillor and had to pay a registration fee of R1 000.
“Once that is done, that person’s name will be added to the ballot paper for that ward. To register is a very quick process because we try, by all means, to encourage participation,” he said.
The by-election will be held on July 2.