Choosing mayors based on race and popularity has destroyed eThekwini – Hoosen



The eThekwini DA mayoral candidate, Haniff Hoosen has dismissed criticism that he will not be able to woo voters because he lacks popularity.

Hoosen was announced by the DA Federal leader John Steenhuisen on Friday in his home township of Chatsworth, south of Durban. After the announcement, DA members were said to be sceptical that Hoosen has the charisma and popularity to win the city for the DA. Many had hoped the party would consider someone who has been in the public eye as it did when choosing former Cape Town mayor Hellen Zille as the Johannesburg mayoral candidate.

In his acceptance speech on Friday, Hoosen promised to fix every water treatment plant in the city, saying these issues had brought about the water and sanitation challenges the city is currently facing. He stated that under his mayorship a big chunk of the budget will go to infrastructure development and, should he be elected mayor, that he and his family will be subjected to lifestyle audits every financial year.

Speaking on Monday, Hoosen said the DA did not consider race and populism in choosing him but governance experience which is required to fix the mess that the city is in right now, He said that the eThekwini municipality, along with many others in the country, faces challenges because previous mayors were selected based on race and popularity.

“I think the DA did well in not considering the popularity and race in choosing the mayoral candidates as the country is in big trouble because of race politics and populism. This has not helped because it’s not the colour of your skin and popularity that will deliver services to the people but your skills and experience… so with my 20 years of experience in governance I believe that I have what it takes to lead eThekwini,” said Hoosen.

The former Independent Democrats Secretary-General was chosen out of the six party members who had applied for the position. He was also the DA’s eThekwini mayoral candidate in 2016 but was defeated by Zandile Gumede of the ANC.

Hoosen became an eThekwini councillor after the 2000 local government election and went on to become a Member of Parliament for the Independent Democrats in 2007 ( ID is a party that was formed by Patricia De Lille after she left the Pan African Congress). He played a major role as the ID Secretary-General in a merger with the DA which resulted in De Lille being appointed as Cape Town mayor under the DA in 2011 and 2016. 

In 2012 Hoosen was elected as the DA provincial chairperson alongside Sizwe Mchunu as the party leader. In 2014, he became a DA Parliament member until 2023, when he left to focus on his business. During his tenure as a Member of Parliament, he served as the DA’s shadow minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and Home Affairs.

willem.phungula@inl.co.za



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