ActionSA's plan to challenge the DA for the 'Indian vote' in Phoenix
ActionSA in KwaZulu-Natal has vowed to give the DA a run for its money in the battle for the crucial Indian vote in Phoenix during this year’s local government elections.
Phoenix, a predominantly Indian township, north of Durban is currently a DA stronghold since the 2021 local government elections after the party made a clean sweep when it took all five wards. However, ActionSA says the DA’s dominance in Phoenix will be history after the party was joined by prominent local civic leaders, including the former chairperson of the Phoenix Civic and Ratepayers Association Alice Govender.
On Monday ActionSA provincial leader Zwakele Mncwango, accompanied by senior party leaders welcomed Alice Govender and other local leaders to the party. Govender joined the party alongside two other political parties, the Azanian Independent Community Movement and Creative Congress Movement which merged with ActionSA.
The parties agreed that their candidates will contest the upcoming local government elections under Herman Mashaba’s party.
Mncwango commended Govender and the two parties for taking a principled decision to join his party, saying that Phoenix ‘has a long history of civic activism, resilience and community leadership, and ActionSA values the experience and insight these leaders bring’.
“Their decision reflects growing confidence in ActionSA as a political home for South Africans who believe in unity, good governance and pragmatic solutions. We are happy that the civic leaders have at last realised that fighting service delivery issues while outside the political system is not easy. We said to them come inside the system to better fight for your community and they accepted that,” said Mncwango.
He extended an invitation to other ratepayers associations and civil society groups to join hands with his party to fight for service delivery under one umbrella.
“In advancing civic participation, accountability and community-driven solutions, and maintain strong working relationships with ratepayer leaders across eThekwini, I call on all civic associations to come together and work with ActionSA not only in Phoenix, but across the broader eThekwini Municipality,” said Mncwango.
The IFP’s Public Representation (PR) councillor in Phoenix Jonathan Annipen dismissed ActionSA’s claims it would swing the vote in the community.
“By deciding to join political parties they desert the communities because they now represent the party’s interests which may not necessarily be the (interest of the) Phoenix community,” said Annipen.
He argued that the electoral facts prove that the battle for the control of Phoenix will be between the IFP and the DA, saying in 2021, the IFP was second after the DA in all wards.
The DA’s chairperson in KwaZulu-Natal, Dean Macpherson said residents of Phoenix would not take ActionSA seriously.
In 2016, the vote in Phoenix was divided between the ANC and the DA, however, in 2021 the DA took all five wards while the IFP managed to get a PR councillor.
willem.phungula@inl.co.za