MMUSI Maimane claims that Capetonians will be better served by independent candidates instead of self-enriching politicians.
The former DA leader was in the Western Cape this weekend to help campaign for independent candidates who have aligned themselves with his organisation One South Africa Movement.
Yesterday morning Maimane, clad in a branded grey tracksuit and mask, canvassed communities from Mfuleni, then moved on to Khayelitsha before ending his day in Ocean View.
Maimane described One Movement for Cape Town as a grassroots movement born out of the community, with candidates from the community.
“I’ve gone door to door with the team here to make sure we can vote independently,” he said.
“The reason they fall under the banner of One Movement for Cape Town is so that they can benefit from the proportional representative aspect of the vote, to maximise across our communities.”
Maimane said people were sick of tired of political parties.
“Democracy fails when the politicians become elite and well-fed when the citizens go hungry,” he said.
He added: “We are saying let’s do it the other way around. Let’s make sure that candidates come from communities.
“Communities can have their say. If they are unhappy with their candidate, they can remove the candidate. That’s what power is.”
One Movement for Cape Town’s independent candidate, Vuyo Tshongweni, said they were visiting communities so that residents could know who to vote for.
“I am standing here for my community knowing that they need a person that can bring power to the people,” he said.
“I am from this community. I know what their problems are, I’ve been here since 1996. I know where to go and what to fight. I know the problems of Masiphumelele.”
Tshongweni said his primary goal was to get land for people to build houses.
“People have been living in the wetlands for some time. We are told there is no land available, but there is land,” he said.
“Our problem is that they privatise the land and sell it so that our people don’t benefit from it.”