OSA, independent candidates sign ‘People’s Pledge’

The One South Africa Movement (OSA) and representatives of 12 independent organisations contesting the Local Government Elections on November 1 signed a “People’s Pledge” in Gauteng today.

The pledge comprises a set of guiding principles that independents will champion and a promise of what independent organisations will do in government for the people of municipalities, communities, towns, villages and cities, says OSA in a press statement.

Christian leaders have been at the forefront of a national push to mobilise ethical independent candidates to stand in the upcoming election and a record 1 718 candidates are standing and more than 100 community forums have been registered across SA. The forum’s are not political parties but associations which strengthen indpendents’ chance of gaining seats by enabling them to benefit from the proportional representation vote while leaving them answerable to their communities and not to parties.

OSA is directly involved in 12 municipalities, with over 250 independent candidates standing for election.

The independents signing the pledge represent “a new pathway to change, a model that takes undue power away from political parties and brings it closer to communities”, says the OSA press statement. “In partnering with a litany of independent community-led organisations, we advocate for non-political local government, that allows for municipalities to be controlled by citizen-led organisations and competent individuals – citizens who are honest, equipped and passionate about delivering basic services in a financially prudent and responsible manner,” it says.

Candidates who sign the “People’s Pledge” undertake, if elected, to:

1. Depoliticise and professionalise local government by ending cadre deployment and nepotism, and replace it with a clean, agile and collaborative model of community-based governance that includes all stakeholders – businesses, civil society, religious groupings and traditional leadership;
2. Ensure municipalities are run by the best, most competent individuals – citizens who are honest, equipped and passionate about delivering basic services in a financially prudent and responsible manner;
3. Restore dignity, deliver quality services to all, spearhead local government as an economic engine for job creation and ensure all communities are safe and secure; 
4. Engage all residents and communities and give regular feedback on the progress made in bring about positive change; and
5. Honour the commitment of the Freedom Charter to “strive together sparing neither strength nor courage, until the people shall govern and until democratic changes here have been won”.

Representatives of the following community organisations participated in today’s signings:

• In Emfuleni Local Municipality in Gauteng, The New Horizon Movement
• In the Great Letaba Local Municipality in Limpopo, The Mopani Independent Movement
• In the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape, The Independents 
• In the Lepelle Nkumpi Local Municipality in Limpopo, the Lebowkgomo Civic Organisation
• In the JS Moroka Municipality in Mpumalanga, the Moretele Independent Civic Organisation
• In the Moses Kotane Local Municipality in the North West, Bana Ba Thari
• In the Cederberg Local Municipality in the Western Cape, Cederberg Eerste
• In the Knysna Local Municipality in the Western Cape, the Knysna Independent Movement
• In the Ngwathe Local Municipality in the Free State, the Ngwathe Residents Association
• In the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro in the Eastern Cape, the Mandela Bay Community Movement
• In the City of Cape Town Metro in the Western Cape, One Movement for Cape Town; and 
• In the Drakenstein Local Municipality in the Western Cape, the Transforming Drakenstein Community Forum

Subscribe to Newsletter

Please help us to keep on publishing news that brings Hope in Jesus:

>> Donate  >> Become a Super Subscriber

VISIT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/gatewaynews100

COMMENTING GUIDELINES
You are welcome to engage with our articles by making comments [in the Comments area below] that add value to a topic or to engage in thoughtful, constructive discussion with fellow readers. Comments that contain vulgar language will be removed. Hostile, demeaning, disrespectful, propagandistic and off-topic comments may also be moved. This is a Christian website and if you wish to vent against Christian beliefs you have probably come to the wrong place and your comments may be removed. Ongoing debates and repetitiveness will not be tolerated. You will also disqualify yourself from commenting if you engage in trolling.