Zille takes ‘Koekie Loekie’ to towns

Western Cape premier Helen Zille.

Western Cape premier Helen Zille.

Published Apr 25, 2014

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Cape Town - DA leader Helen Zille on Thursday went electioneering in Mamre and Atlantis, telling senior citizens of her own experience of being a new mother-in-law and looking forward to being a granny.

Zille sang along to “DA, jou lekker ding” and danced to the party’s popular Western Cape song Koekie Loekie, surrounded by supporters.

Zille visited one of Mamre’s oldest residents, 100-year-old Sophia Johannes.

The DA leader kept the visit short, commenting that old age was a “tough place” – but she did pause to ensure “Ouma” had a special vote.

Mamre pensioner Lilian Jonker complained that unemployment was rife in the area.

“Our children, if they leave matric, there’s no work for them. I would like to see the matrics get work – and decent work,” Jonker said.

Another pensioner, Lilian Ludick, said the youth were “wasting” their educations by sweeping the streets.

“We live to struggle,” said Jonker.

DA MP Denise Robinson told Mamre’s elderly and disabled that the party was not there to “win votes but because we’re a party that cares”.

And while Census 2011 and other studies showed Cape Town had lower unemployment figures than in the rest of the country, Zille did acknowledge it remained “difficult in many communities”.

In a more intimate moment, Zille spoke of her new daughter-in-law, who she said was also from the West Coast. She said she had bought her first items of grandchildren’s clothing from the disability centre and home industry, Lief en Leed (Love and Sorrow) in case she became an “Ouma”.

ANC supporters claimed that the DA had bused in three taxis full of supporters to add numbers because the area was not a DA stronghold.

Ward 29, which comprises Pella, Atlantis and Mamre, is a DA-run ward. Pella has a proportional representative councillor from the ANC.

Marschilee Adams, a Pella resident who works for the ANC, said: “I can assure you these people are not from Pella. These people came in taxis. They are from Atlantis and Mamre.”

The DA ward chairman in the area, Adiel de Lange, told the Cape Argus three taxis of supporters had been brought to Pella from Atlantis.

Earlier, Zille’s “hype man”, who shouted pro-Zille and pro-DA slogans, shouted on his PA system: “Hier’s die ANC. Passop want hulle gaan kak gooi!” (Here’s the ANC. Watch out because they’re going to throw shi*t!)

Political Bureau

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