The Vaal to be major battleground in election

Emfuleni and Midvaal are set to be major political battlegrounds in the August local elections, with the Democratic Alliance (DA) recently focusing its top leadership on the Vaal.

And Emfuleni – ANC-controlled and reeling from a massive corruption scandal – would see a dramatic improvement in service delivery “within 100 days” if the DA were voted in, promised Kingsol Chabalala, its mayoral candidate for the area.

Using control of Midvaal to showcase governance success and extensive job, business and a massive R10 billion investment interest, the DA has now projected an unprecedented show of force in the Vaal:
• It has announced Kingsol Chabalala of Evaton as its mayoral candidate for Emfuleni, using Gauteng DA leader John Moodey to launch him in Vanderbijlpark. Chabalala is already a member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature.
• DA leader Mmusi Maimane – in Midvaal for a second time within a month – launched a no holds barred attack on President Jacob Zuma and the “corrupt” ANC-led Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) at the DA Midvaal Manifesto launch in Meyerton at the weekend.
• Bongani Baloyi, executive mayor of Midvaal, the only DA-controlled area in Gauteng, at the same meeting as Maimane, showcased extensive success in attracting investment and business, and emphasised a local government that worked for the people,
“The DA works for all the people, not like the ANC which works only for Jacob Zuma – look at the difference between Midvaal and Emfuleni, where they are stealing millions and the place is filthy,” Maimane said.
Mayor Baloyi said Midvaal was “by far” a better place than in 2011 when the DA took over and this could be seen by driving on the R59 highway.
“It is real, it is tangible and you can see it!” said Mayor Baloyi, who with Maimane stressed that the DA was intensely youth-focused, especially regarding unemployment.

Emfuleni mayoral candidate Kingsol Chabalala said the DA was ready to govern. Election on 3 August will see the party make massive improvements for residents “within 100 days” of taking power.
“We must turn Emfuleni into a showcase university and industrial town, based firmly on service delivery and improving the lives of all our people.
“With democracy in 1994 I saw the lights come on in my parents eyes, but after 22 years of the ANC it is gone. Now I want to see that light back in my parents’ eyes,” said Chabalala.