Johannesburg - One South Africa Movement (OSA) chief activist Mmusi Maimane unveiled the New Horizon Movement (NHM) mayoral candidate Bishop Vincent Jones, and 34 independent candidates who will stand in wards across Emfuleni Municipality.
OSA champions and endorses the general concept of independent candidates in governance, a move away from political party dominance and towards more people-orientated administrations – bringing power closer to communities.
In this year’s local government elections, the OSA said it is working closely with more than 250 candidates, in 12 targeted municipalities, around the country.
“We are partnering with these independent candidates and section 15A community organisations, to bring about citizen-led governments in towns across South Africa.
“We aim for this election to act of a ’proof of concept’ of what groupings of independents and citizen-led movements can achieve outside of the party-political model in the near future, as our electoral system is reformed to allow for direct elections,” said Maimane.
Maimane said the NHM is one of independents OSA is working with in these elections. They will contest all wards in the Emfuleni Local Municipality with independent candidates, as well as on the PR list system, offering the residents a credible alternative to the failing political party system, and the resultant service delivery collapse in the municipality.
The municipality is currently run by the DA.
“Our model makes use of Section 15A of the Electoral Commission Act, a groundbreaking mechanism that allows for the registration of an organisation or movement to participate in municipal elections, without being registered as a traditional political party, with political party structures.
“By using this mechanism, independent candidates can stand for election in various wards, while also registering as a conglomerate of independent candidates, to gain the benefit of the proportional representation (PR) vote.
“This model gives communities the power to take back control of their own destiny from political parties and install citizen-led governments in their municipalities,” said Maimane.
Politics Bureau