KNYSNA NEWS - Jaco Londt, constituency head and member of parliament for the DA, made a surprising announcement that only four of the 10 serving Knysna councillors are assured of being in the team the DA hope to lead the party to an outright win at the August 3 local government elections.
Experienced serving DA councillors were dropped from the ward candidate list, while some are placed so far down on the proportional councillors (PR) list, that only an overwhelming miracle DA-win will see them back in council after the elections.
Londt on Monday, May 2 announced that Georlene Wolmarans, Peter Myers, Mark Willemse and Eleanore Bouw-Spies are the four serving DA councillors earmarked to be back for another five-year term in the Knysna council.
Deputy mayor Esme Edge is only number nine on the PR list, with Ray Barrel at number 12. At the moment the Knysna DA have five PR councillors serving, which means for Edge to retain a seat in council, the DA has to make a clean sweap in the upcoming election, pocketing many more votes than in the 2011 elections. With only 10 PR councillors, out of all the political parties competing in the elections, to take seats in the new council, Barrel's only hope would be that a couple of the DA PR candidates withdraw from the list.
Another surprise on the list is that the serving Eden district DA representative in the Knysna council, Theodoris Nayler, who is also the speaker of the Eden council, is now the DA’s second choice for this position, with Rowan Spies the first choice.
Edge and Nayler’s seats will only be retained with much luck and more DA support.
Although Myers (Ward 10), Willemse (Ward 9) and Bouw-Spies (Ward 5) are expected to be back in council, they first have to fight the battle of votes on August 3 to retain their wards. Wolmarans just has to sit back and see how the voters vote her in, as she is the first to enjoy a PR position.
The DA decided to take on what's generally known as the most important and equally contested elections since 1994, with quite a new team, while it's well known that experienced political leaders like Julius Malema (EFF), Jeffrey Donson (Icosa) and Mosiuoa Lekota (Cope) are pocketing promises for Knysna votes, well before the elections.
With Grootboom and Hart out, DA ward candidates Laveal Davis (Ward 1) and Cathey Weideman (Ward 2) will have to hope for entrance into the political council arena, facing these fighters for freedom, housing, better service delivery and other stereotypical election promises.
Eleanore Bouw-Spies: Destined to win Ward 5 for the DA again.
The candidate lists are as follows:
1. Laveal Davis
2. Cathy Weideman
3. Moos Booysen
4. Sibusiso Kwinana
5. Eleanore Bouw-Spies
6. Jan Davids
7. Nomabhongo Mani
8. Nikiwe Jantjies
9. Mark Willemse
10. Peter Myers
11. Donovan Pofadder
1. Mayoral Candidate - TBC
2. Georlene Wolamarans
3. Luzuko Tyokolo
4. Martin Young
5. Laveal Davis
6. Ivan Sibusiso Kwinana
7. Nomabhongo Mani
8. Julie Seton
9. Esmé Edge
10. Anthony Stone
11. Jan Davids
12. Ray Barrell
13. Moos Booysen
1. Rowan Spies
2. Theodoris Nayler
More information to follow as it becomes available.
Esmé Edge: Left in the dark as number nine on the PR list.
ARTICLE: CHRISTO VERMAAK, KNYSNA-PLETT HERALD NEWS EDITOR
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