Johannesburg - As the DA mulls the formation of a coalition government to run Joburg, it risks losing supporters who voted for the party in Soweto during the watershed municipal elections.
DA party agents told The Star on Tuesday that they were short-changed by the party for their work done at eight voting stations in ward 11 incorporating Chiawelo and Klipspruit West.
DA member Lebohang Ngwenya insisted that they were promised payment but that this had not been fulfilled.
“We know that every time there is an election, party agents get paid. The ANC and EFF agents have been paid. We were left wondering why we have not been paid yet. We were told we would be paid,” said Ngwenya.
In total, 16 DA party agents who worked in ward 11 during the elections had not been paid, he said. “We feel used. We also voted for the DA to bring change, but what change if we work and don’t get paid?”
Ngwenya said the official opposition party gave them R40 each for lunch during their spirited door-to-door campaigns in the ward.
Another DA member, Mashudu Bungana, said it was “painful” that they would not be paid for their work because “we worked hard for the DA in their campaign”.
The allegations, however, were quashed by the DA, which said there was no formal agreement the agents would be paid. DA Gauteng leader John Moodey said it was “absolutely a lie” that they promised to pay their party agents.
“We provided them with free, warm meals and refreshments. There was never a matter of paying our agents and activists who worked at voting stations,” he said.
Ngwenya retorted: “It’s clear they were using us. It’s fine. We were supposed to establish a branch committee in ward 11 but people are holding back because of this matter. The people are saying they no longer trust the DA.”
He said he would now leave politics and focus on his budding photography business, “rather than being used”.
Ngwenya said the DA might lose the support it got in the area because of the incident. “Remember, this is an ANC stronghold,” he added.
A total of 6 853 people (35.93 percent) voted DA in ward 11 against the ANC’s 8 120 (42.57 percent) and EFF’s 2 973 (15.59 percent).
@luyolomkentane
The Star