Breakfast with Mmusi Maimane

Yesterday Ward 57 had the pleasure to host a breakfast at The Kitchen in Woodstock  for around 30 invited guests who met, chatted with and listened to DA Parliamentary Leader Mmusi Maimane MP, discuss his thoughts, ideas, and insights about South Africa. In a wide ranging speech the following points stand out:

On the ANC: After 20 years in power its leadership has lost the plot, lacks political will or effective leadership and does not respect the Constitution or the institutions of state which are meant to protect the fundamental rights of citizens.  Preferring rather to subvert them to defend their own entrenched interests.

Opposition role: The DA is in for the long haul, as we understand the importance of democratic principles and the need to protect and uphold them as an effective opposition.  This goes beyond grandstanding and means taking the government to task if necessary on a wide array of issues – education, defence, spending, corruption, Eskom – backed up by research.

Corruption: In the budget R9 billion was raised by increasing taxation – R30 billion alone has been lost with corruption, Government should be looking at corruption, and cutting down on wasteful spending.

Waiting to go in

Reflections in Sir Lowry Road

A guest, Mmusi and Zakhele Mbhele

A long breakfast table

The Kitchen is a wonderful place

Education:  It is the only way for the youth to become employable, youth unemployment is the highest it has ever been and current education policies are failing them miserably.

The Sound of Laughter

Weeeaaarrre Baaaaaack: Ward 57 and Alan Committie  will be back on Friday 5th December at the Theatre on the Bay for this year’s Ward fundraiser.  Starring the irrepressible One Man Committee of
 Comedy,  Alan Committie is bound to have us in stitches as, well … Julie Andrews (???) in The Sound of Laughter and a whole host of mad persona including:

• Selfies to Christmas Elfies,
• Banting whilst bunting,
• The final say on the Pistorius trial, and
• A beautifully nuanced recreation of The Sound of Music – in 8 minutes

Election Activities

The next few weeks are going to be filled with hectic political activity and Ward 57 will be no exception.  A DA Breakfast fundraiser, canvassing, walk abouts, talks, leaflet distributions and all the buzz which will most definitely see us achieve the kind of result which this Ward deserves – a comprehensive DA win. All DA supporters are welcome to attend the planned activities.

For a photographic round up of recent activity on Facebook, such as Paddy catching a MyCiti bus after our Election info table on Derry Street; Campaigning in Woodstock with Ward 55 last Saturday, which was great fun; and last night’s DA Blue Wave at St Peters with our high energy Min of Housing Madikizela. A blue tornado! See the Democratic-Alliance-Ward-57 page. 

Keep the Western Cape DA! Register to win!

Queens Park in action

To keep the Western Cape blue, and to make the rest of the country blue we need every DA supporter to register and vote in 2014. To check whether you are registered in your area, you can:

• SMS your name and ID number to 43783 and one of our staff will call to assist (sms costs  50c).
• Dial 0861 22 55 32,
• SMS the IEC at 32810 (R1.50 per SMS), or
• Check your registration status online at the IEC

If it turns out that you are not registered or incorrectly registered then register by coming to your your local IEC voting station during the registration weekend of 8th and 9th February.  

Ward 57 wins

Certificate of Excellence

At the Metro Council Meeting held in Scottsdene over the weekend, Ward 57 was awarded with a certificate of excellence for the Best Ward Performance over Registration Weekend of the 9th and 10th of November. Bovain MacNab, Ward 57 Chairman says that if one considers the number of wards in the Metro, that we are a new branch, and that this was our first registration weekend it is a phenomenal achievement. Councillor Paddy Chapple concurs and is determined to defend our status in February!  Once again Ward 57 has ended off the year on a high note, last year we packed the Theatre on the Bay to watch Allan Committie perform in No Seriously! No, seriously. 

Know your DA – 2

The truth about the DA
The DA fought against apartheid and now the DA is working to fix the wrongs of apartheid. Some people don’t want you to know this. You deserve to know the truth.

The DA supports BEE
Everybody who suffered under apartheid must benefit from BEE, not just the friends and family of politicians. The DA’s BEE will create jobs, not billionaires.

The DA supports Social Grants
We will never take away your social grant. The DA’s social grants will lift people out of poverty and into jobs.

The DA supports Land Reform
It is wrong that black people were denied access to land under apartheid. The DA will speed up land reform and give emergent farmers the support they need to be successful.

Read more about Know Your DA Phase 2

Know your DA DVD screening

Members enthusiastically discussing the DVD

Last night’s screening (Thurs 18 July) at The Marian Institute of the KNOW YOUR DA DVD was a great success, over 20 members got together despite the rain and cold to watch and discuss the DVD; meander down memory lane; and mingle and chat to each other as we build toward the 2014 Elections.

The story of the Democratic Alliance, is a 12 minute video, which has put the the ANC into a tizz because it tells the story of the struggle against apartheid as being one which was fought on many fronts, and one in which many people played their part.  And while all the history books reflect the roles of the liberation movements in the struggle for freedom, there is another part of this story that remains largely untold.  It is a story that some have tried to change, or even erase entirely from history. It is the story of the Democratic Alliance.

The “Know Your DA” campaign was launched over two months ago. 800,000 pamphlets have been distributed, and nearly 300,000 South Africans have seen the DVD in their homes.  It will also be available in nine languages.

Helen Zille said in a press release that:

“For too long we have allowed our political opponents to define us. To counter this deception we  must reclaim our history. We must ensure that we never lose sight of the golden thread that connects our past, present and future: the fight against apartheid and its legacy of poverty, unemployment and inequality.”

Rates rebates clinics

Ward 57 will be holding four rates rebates clinics around the ward on:

• 27 July – St Lukes Church in Salt River,
• 3 August – Constituency office in Observatory,
• 17 August – Vredehoek Library, and
• 24 August – Marion Institute District 6.

All clinics will be held from 10h00 to 13h00.

Broadly the rebates, grants and other relief measures are as follows:
Residents with properties valued at less than R400 000, and households with a gross monthly household income of R3 000 or less are entitled to free basic services. Households with incomes between R3 500 and R4 000 qualify for a 75% rebate; those with incomes between R4 000 and R4 500 qualify for a 50% rebate; while those with an income of between R4 500 and R5 000 qualify for a 25% rebate.

Senior citizens qualify for rates rebates where gross monthly household income is less than R12 000, while the city also grants Indigent assistance  to all households with a gross monthly income of R3 500 or less of a 100% rates rebate, an additional 4,5 kl of water, and a 240 l refuse bin.

Residents who think they qualify must bring their ID books, a rates account and three months bank statements as proof of their income.

World Design Capital

The Waterfront Clock Tower painted in yellow and black

This week saw over twenty of us attending a presentation by Richard Perez at the Armchair Lounge in Observatory, on What the World Design Capital means for and how it will benefit Cape Town.   Richard is the director of the City’s World Design Capital (WDC) Department.  In a wide ranging presentation he highlighted what an outstanding achievement it is for Cape Town to have been selected as it puts the city on the world stage. Our winning bid concept and the central overarching theme of LIVE DESIGN.TRANSFORM LIFE. focused on using socially responsive design to transform the city into one of the most inclusive, sustainable, liveable and productive cities on the continent.

Within this theme, four sub-themes have been developed to bring clarity and simplicity to the process of submission and curatorship of proposals.  The themes are:

African Innovation. Global Conversation – African ideas that speak to the world

Bridging The Divide – Design that reconnects our city and reconciles our communities

Today For Tomorrow – Sustainable solutions for people and planet

Beautiful Spaces. Beautiful Things – Inspiring architecture, interiors, food, fashion, jewellery, craft, art and creativity

Richard brought our attention to the fact that design in the context of WDC goes beyond merely producing a beautiful object.  Its value lies in the process which the maker went through in creating the object .  It is this “design thinking” process which needs to be harnessed and brought to bear in solving the complex challenges of housing, sanitation and urbanisation which Cape Town faces.    The City is going to be engaging with residents in identifying a number of City directorate and ward projects.  Once such projects have been identified – like a public park upgrade or the solving of traffic problems the team will host workshops involving the community, the line department which will be implementing the solution and designers in using the design process to reach a practical result.

For those of you wondering what has happened to the Clock Tower at the Waterfront, it has been painted in yellow and black, the colours of World Design Capital.

Read more on www.wdccapetown2014.com/

Liesbeek River clean up

On Saturday the 29th of September a group of us along with some of the Friends of the Liesbeek donned our gumboots, gloves, anoraks and blue t-shirts to help clean up the Liesbeek river. Despite the cold and wind we collected many bags of rubbish in what proved to be both an educational experience and a successful Blue Wave Event.