Front row from left:Skip Scheepers,Werner Senekal, Gloria Mace,Leonard de Andrade and Pastor Ferdi Stols
Back row from left:Marinda Stols,Marie Gouws, Helen Thom,Kerry McDonald, Ruaan Kriel & Marius Erasmus.
Not in the picture: Francois and Elma that were already busy transporting voters * Zelma that manned the office and reminding voters to go and register * Then last, but not least Councillor Maragret de Andrade that took this picture.
The past weekend of 7 & 8 February 2009 saw the last opportunity for voters to register themselfs for the general elections to be held later this year.
Our DA branch and our committed members were ready for the voter registration as seen in the photo above. Above are some of our drivers which came to assist with transporting about 60 people from the Louis Dubb retirement village to the voter registration centre.
In total 1445 voters registered at the three voting stations in ward 39. Foot-canvassing, general election campaiging (even before the DA's actual manifesto & campaign launch) and the IEC voter registration drive is directly responsible for the high voter registration turnout.
On behalf of the party , Margaret and myself a special thanks to our team.
Werner
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FROM THE DESK OF MARGARET DE ANDRADE!!!!!
ELECTION 2009: OUR KEY MESSAGES
We will deliver the South African dream of one nation with one future, living together under the constitution in peace, security and prosperity, with opportunity and recognition for all the rainbow people.
This time, we can win. The ANC has split. ANC majorities at provincial and local level are no longer a given. Coalition governments are the way of the future, like the one the DA has pioneered in Cape Town. Therefore, a vote for the DA is a vote for a government that can and will deliver on our promise of the South African dream. With your support, we can govern at provincial level in 2009, municipal level in 2011 and national level in 2014, with the same success we have had in Cape Town.
We have a proven track record of successful government in the City of Cape Town and other municipalities. We provide corruption-free government and excellent service delivery.
The DA is the only party big enough to bring down the ANC vote and provide the core of an alternative government for South Africa.
The DA is the only party that can be trusted to stand up for the constitution, a market-based economic policy and corruption-free government.
The DA will never take South Africa back to apartheid. We will take South Africa forward to a future in which there is respect and opportunity for each and every person in South Africa.
The DA stands for diversity and excellence. We are a party for all the people and we deliver with excellence, for all the people. We will put forward a diverse list of excellent candidates in this election.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT FOR VOTERS BY PROVINCIAL LEADER ATHOL TROLLIP, MPL
The unprecedented Euphoria around Barack Obama’s election victory and his subsequent inauguration came at a time when the USA found itself at a cross road of unprecedented hopelessness. He convinced Americans that he offered both Hope and Change.
South Africa and especially the Eastern Cape need HOPE and CHANGE. The birth of Democracy in South Africa was marked by the ANC ascending to power; it promised both HOPE and CHANGE but has been exposed for being deficient in both. The new political party – COPE pretends to offer the same but in reality is merely the other side of the same coin. The leadership of COPE have not had a “Damascus road epiphany” rather they found themselves earmarked as being anti Zuma and thus are effectively – unemployed politicians who had become accustomed to a certain lifestyle, the only way they could ensure this lifestyle status was to return to public offices by “Hook or by Crook”.
The DA is therefore going to contest for every SINGLE vote possible in the ensuing election against all political parties particularly the ANC. We have proven track record of effective governance where we have come to govern and have led a multi party coalition government with distinction in the city of Cape Town.
The forthcoming election is thus a watershed election as South Africans have for the first time since 1994 got realistic alternative choices; the DA can realistically come to power in three of four provinces. Voters will also vote on the issues that they face on a day to day basis and heritage or legacy voting patterns are set to be broken, especially by voters who have been promised so much and received so little.
Despite the ANC manifesto promises that are mostly simply unrealistic and unaffordable the DA believes the main focus areas are as follows;
EDUCATION
Our education system is not producing the kind of results needed for our population to become appropriately skilled in order to be competitively productive. The appalling matric results that are inevitably “manipulated” have been cruelly exposed by the pathetic tertiary institution pass rates. The Eastern Cape is the poorest performing province in this regard. The improved matric results in the Western Cape under the leadership of Helen Zille when she was MEC for education can be emulated here with the necessary political will. A decent education is the best gift of opportunity that can be given to a child and we are sadly failing to do so.
HEALTH CARE
Poor primary health care provision and the escalating incidence of TB, HIV and Aids and infant and maternal mortality rates in this province are all unfortunate indictors that the people of this province especially the poor are not enjoying a “better life”. The health budget of this province is higher than ever before but the quality of health care and public health facilities is worse than ever. This can be turned around overnight through a different health care philosophy and implementation of international best practice methods. We also need to retain all local trained health workers and medical officers rather than exporting these scarce skills due to lack of appreciation and compensation for their services. Human resource management in this and the education department is notoriously bad.
CRIME
This remains one of the major obstacles to economic growth and disinvestment. The police services are severely compromised by the fact that the National Police Commissioner has been implicated in criminal activity yet remain in the employment of the state. It is said, “That a Fish rots from the head down” – this is the case in the SAPS. There are proven international strategies that have reduced crime dramatically in other developing nations, these can be implemented here but require the political will to clamp down on all criminals from the President, Members of Parliament, Premiers, Mayors and ordinary citizens. The ANC has shown no appetite to act against their own.
ECONOMIC GROWTH AND JOB CREATION
Political stability is critically important for economic growth and international investment. The current political turmoil within the ANC is mitigating against real economic growth. There needs to be a much more coherent infrastructural development and maintenance plan for this Province, we will never create jobs if our road, rail, port and commuter infrastructure remains below par.
The right to work is as important as workers rights this is a critical point misused by ANC alliance partner COSATU. The Provinces two industrial development zones (IDZ) Coega and the ELIDZ need to be turned into export processing zones (EPZ) and our underfunded underperforming tourism sector needs to be revisited in order to turn it into a major job creating sector.
Job growth in the Agricultural sector will not become a viable reality under the current land reform, transformation initiatives, because they have failed to ensure sustainable or improved productivity for the identified beneficiaries. We have people “starving’ on formerly productive agricultural land, due to the lack of training operating capital and appropriate extension services.
The DA has established its credentials as a party that has consistently opposed cronyism by promoting an open opportunity society for all South Africans as opposed to the ANC’s practice of closed patronage for connected comrades, where in power our record of service delivery speaks for itself. This is in contrast to the poor service of the ANC that has become even more compromised by the current infighting that has resulted in hamstring legislatures and councils across the country.
Therefore voters must realise that they are the one’s that can change the current state of chaotic governance and service delivery, this is the essence of democracy and the voters must defend democracy as it cannot defend itself.
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HELP THE DA SPREAD ITS ELECTION MESSAGE
When you signed up as a DA volunteer, one of the activities you selected was ‘Spread the Word’: that is, helping the DA spread its vision for South Africa online and in the media. On 31 January the DA is launching its 2009 election campaign and from then on, up until Election Day, the party will be fighting for every inch of column space to get its message heard.
In order to do this effectively, we need your help.
ACTIVITY AND DETAILS
There are two ways in which we would like you to assist:
1. Radio and Television
As the election gets closer, the amount of time different media dedicate to politics increases. This is particularly true of radio and television. Almost every radio and television station has a Current Affairs or talk show, some much more than one. During the election campaign the DA will be monitoring these shows and, when we need your support, we will be calling on you to phone in and give your support to the party.
For example: If Helen Zille is appearing on the After 8 Debate, on SAfm, in a debate with the ANC about, say, Education, we will send you an SMS with the following information:
• The name of the show;
• The time of the show;
• The frequency of the station or the TV channel;
• The number to call or SMS to show your support; and
• The topic of the discussion
Then you can call in, support the DA or defend it if it is under attack.
2. Online
As with radio and television, the closer the election gets, the more those online forums, blogs and websites dedicated to current affairs will devote to politics. And, as with radio and television, the DA will be monitoring these web pages and calling on you to log onto those forums, blogs and websites and show your support for the DA.
For example: Someone writing for the M&G’s blog platform Thought Leader posts a blog about politics and says that political parties in South Africa have poor education policies. The DA will send you an e-mail with the following information:
• The name of the blog/forum/website;
• Its address (you can just click on this to go straight to the relevant page);
• The topic;
• The facts (with regard to the example above, it would be a link to the DA’s education policy); and
• How you can show your support
You will then have everything you need to log onto the relevant site and take part in the debate, show your support for the DA and have all the relevant facts at hand.
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CONTACT
Thank you for agreeing to help the DA spread the message, your support in this regard is invaluable. Together the DA’s volunteers constitute a powerful influence and with your help and dedication we can spread the DA’s message and, at this crucial time in our democratic history, convince more and more South Africans to vote for the DA and its vision for South Africa.
Sincerely
The Contribute to Change Team
Queries? Feedback? Email volunteer@da.org.za or call 021 465 1431.
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