Durban - Growing up in a small town which was affected by poor service delivery inspired the country’s youngest council speaker, Phumzile Mgcina, to enter into the volatile political space of the ANC’s Emalahleni Region, in Newcastle.
Mgcina, 30, who hails from Utrecht, a small farm town located about 40km from Newcastle, has climbed to the top of the political ladder and was campaigning for the deputy chair position in the upcoming ANC elective conference.
In her late 20s, Mgcina was elected as a council speaker for Amajuba District Municipality which comprises Newcastle, Dannhauser and Emadlangeni municipalities.
With the council's speaker position normally bestowed on senior politicians who have a strong command and extensive knowledge of council rules, Mgcina managed to keep the council in check, despite her youth.
She said her interest in politics developed when she realised that the lives of marginalised people from her town had not changed post-1994.
“I joined politics at the age of 16 and led in the youth leagues structures. I was curious about the municipality's delays in providing basic services such as water and houses even though it was provided for in the budget.
But through my involvement in the ANC, I have learnt internal processes and collective effort from other departments were among the reasons,” said Mgcina.
She holds the position of deputy secretary for the ANC Emalahleni Region which, in the past couple of years, was engulfed by political killings.
Mgcina said she drew inspiration from fearless stalwarts like Winnie Madikizela Mandela and Albertina Sisulu, who were detained and arrested for standing up during volatile times.
Several people were killed leading up to the previous conference and local government elections.
Mgcina said she was fearless and would not be intimidated by the killings.
“It's scary, but that is the nature of politics. The history of the organisation motivates us. I believe the ANC has a future and we must fight against the scourge of killings to advance democracy. The elected leadership must be protected. There are internal structures and the party's constitution that must be utilised rather than resorting to killings.
“We will not be intimidated by such incidents because it means there will be no leaders in future as those who kill will have it their way, which compromises democracy, said Mgcina.
Reflecting on her successes as the youngest speaker, Mgcina said she has been involved in several community development projects including the supply of water which was a primary responsibility of the district municipality.
“We have launched water programmes through our districts which would enable housing projects and attract more investors. Our municipalities have enough land for human settlement, however, without proper water and sanitation the government cannot build houses there. We understand that we can not do it all overnight but we have made progress in that regard. There are also social ills projects I run as Speaker. I work with schools and NGOs to assist you, people. The bullying issue and gangsterism are also our issues, I have worked with the provincial government to address and intervene in those cases,” she said.
Mgcina also raised concerns about the ongoing tension between farmers and farm dwellers in a greater Newcastle area which has seen ministers and Premier Sihle Zikalala visiting the area.
As the Amajuba District is predominantly farm areas, there were incidents where livestock belonging to dwellers have been impounded by farmers which were believed to be the cause of the tension.
She has been part of the peace-making talks between the parties in different areas and believed that land redistribution would be the solution.
“What we get from the community is that people want the land to farm and the relationship with farmers gets worse each day. Some have submitted land claims and there is intolerance as a result. There are also several outstanding cases where people's livestock have been impounded by commercial farmers, all that makes the situation volatile among the farming community. But there is also the element of crime which we strongly condemn in cases where farmers are targeted. We have made proposals to the police which we believe can assist,” she said.
With regards to running the council as an inexperienced “young woman”, Mgcina said reading helped her.
She said reading council rules which guide the chamber was the key.
She was amazed by the respect she received from the councillors regardless of her age and political affiliation.
“All I do is according to the rules, that has helped me a lot to gain confidence and be able to command the council. We emphasise the importance of respect among each other and we advance democracy,” she added.
Going forward, Mgcina was canvassing for the influential deputy chair position in a conference scheduled to take place next month.
Her vision was to attract more investors to Newcastle which she believed has a huge potential for creating jobs for you people.
Sunday Tribune