‘Right candidates wanted’

ANC provincial secretary Faiez Jacobs has said that the party was not taking chances on the calibre of its public representatives. Picture: Supplied

ANC provincial secretary Faiez Jacobs has said that the party was not taking chances on the calibre of its public representatives. Picture: Supplied

Published Jan 28, 2016

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Cape Town - With political selection processes in full swing, opposition parties across the province are tackling the task of finding suitable candidates for public office after the upcoming local government elections.

Unlike the DA, who have already named incumbent mayor Patricia de Lille as their mayoral candidate, the ANC, EFF and the ACDP have not yet put a face to their election campaigns.

And while provincial secretary Faiez Jacobs would not be drawn on the issue, insiders said the party was having a tough time finding the “right candidate”.

It is unclear if Cosatu’s Western Cape secretary and opposition leader in the city council, Tony Ehrenreich, will be returning after Cosatu earlier said they would deploy candidates to either post and not both.

This emerged during the trade federation’s provincial congress last year when many unions tabled a resolution that “the provincial secretary must be withdrawn from the City of Cape Town Council to focus on Cosatu”.

Asked for comment, Ehrenreich said he would abide by whatever Cosatu decide

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Jacobs stressed that the party was not taking chances on the calibre of its public representatives, adding that nominees would be dropped if they have been found guilty by the party’s disciplinary committee, or have a criminal record after 1990.

“ANC members who are seen as leaders in their communities should be considered as candidates, even if they do not hold any elected positions in the party to ensure that the people who are working in their communities are elected,” he said.

EFF said they would contest the elections in all municipalities and the various IEC demarcated wards in the Western Cape.

Provincial leader Bernard Joseph said the branch general assembly of each IEC demarcated ward will be a platform to designate potential ward councillor candidates of the EFF.

“Ward councillor nominations will be confirmed once security and criminal records have been cleared, and the EFF structures have satisfied themselves that the nomination is in accordance with the party’s constitution, guidelines and political considerations,” he added.

Joseph added that PR councillors would be nominated through the party’s branch general assemblies, a meeting of the general membership of a branch, which is convened every three months.

The EFF indicated that there were no names for their mayoral candidate post in the metro.

The ACDP said it was entering the upcoming elections from a practical point of view and would not compete in municipalities where they have no party structures.

Provincial party leader, Ferlon Christians, said the party would be looking at municipalities where they have ample support and the balance of power.

“We believe that Cape Town, Ceres, Knysna, Swellendam and George where we hold the balance of power, we will be announcing mayoral candidates. The branches will nominate candidates by popular vote and a provincial executive committee will consider candidates.

“While this process has not been completed, most candidates have sent in their application forms, whereafter a guardian committee will do the screening,” he said.

While Christians did not reveal candidates for Cape Town’s mayoral candidate position, insiders said Christians and Grant Haskin were in the running.

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Cape Argus

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