Zille back on campaign trail

Western Cape premier Helen Zille and DA ward 4 candidate Wandisile Ngeyi visited the Paddock shopping Mall in Milnerton and spoke to several people including Benjamin Raubenheimer and Carla Casper. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane/ANA Pictures

Western Cape premier Helen Zille and DA ward 4 candidate Wandisile Ngeyi visited the Paddock shopping Mall in Milnerton and spoke to several people including Benjamin Raubenheimer and Carla Casper. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane/ANA Pictures

Published Jul 9, 2017

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Cape Town - Expect to see a lot more of Helen Zille on the DA campaign trail. The Western Cape premier has been seeking to ramp up support for the party.

And, according to party officials, she has been doing so as “an ordinary card-carrying member”.

This week the former DA leader was in Eendekuil, Bergrivier, canvassing for votes ahead of the ward 5 by-election there.

And on Saturday Zille visited a shopping mall in Milnerton to help the party’s ward 4 candidate, Wandisile Ngeyi, who is seeking to fill a vacant seat in the constituency.

Zille is reportedly allowed to actively campaign for the party following an agreement with the DA after she tendered an apology for her comments on colonialism.

She no longer serves on the party’s decision-making bodies, including the federal executive, the federal council and the provincial council.

In turn, the disciplinary charges were dropped and the suspension that was imposed on her, restricting her political activities, was lifted.

A cheerful and confident Zille confirmed to Weekend Argus on Saturday that she was “available for all party activities including campaigning”.

And the residents of Milnerton certainly warmed up to her, rushing to take pictures with her as she moved around engaging with them on social issues, while introducing Ngeyi.

Just love this pic of our Ward 4 candidate Wandile Ngeyi and me canvassing for the by-election on 2 August. pic.twitter.com/TXGXrTzfay

— Helen Zille (@helenzille) July 8, 2017

Great to be on the campaign trail again for Ward 5 by-election, Eendekuil, Bergrivier. pic.twitter.com/jvBaLmHma1

— Helen Zille (@helenzille) July 5, 2017

“We wish the DA success here. A clean broom sweeps clean and we do need a change in South Africa,” a staff member at a Persian rug seller, Beulah Becker, told Zille and Ngeyi as they took time to briefly watch an auction which was under way.

Zille encouraged the people to vote in the by-election scheduled to take place on August 2.

DA supporters congratulated the party for the work it was doing to “improve lives in the province”, while others voiced concerns over service delivery issues.

The issues related to solid waste management in the Joe Slovo informal settlement, job creation, growth in the economy, housing and education.

“The residents want a councillor who is responsive. I will follow-up on the issues and ensure that they are attended to”, Zille said.

DA provincial campaign director Anthony Benadie believed the party had a strong candidate in Ngeyi.

He said the seat had become vacant after disciplinary action was taken against previous councillor, Tando Jafta, for not fulfilling his duties as required by the party.

“We have a good candidate. He is well versed in community service and we hope that he will serve with distinction as we want to keep the ward to the DA,” he added.

Ngeyi described the ward he was contesting, which included Joe Slovo Park , Marconi Beam, Royal Ascot, Milnerton, Phoenix, Summer Greens, Sunset Beach and Montague Gardens, as being diverse with diverse social and economic issues.

“We need to listen to the communities, identify and prioritise issues, come up with solutions and implement them,” he said.

Councillors from other areas including Atlantis also showed up to lend support to their fellow member.

Weekend Argus

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