Meanwhile in the Most Unequal Town in South Africa...

In July 2018, three years ago, Hermanus was in the middle of a series of violent protests that wracked the town and surrounding areas for the better part of 6 months.

Hermanus is statistically the most unequal town in the country*, and this is evident in the contrast between the expansive, picture-perfect holiday destination that attracts visitors from across the world, and their well-hidden townships where thousands of people live without water or electricity.

It is also, due to many public servants from the old Apartheid regime getting special deals on property in the area as a result of the Santam/Volkskas debacle, home to many people who are inherently racist and believe that South Africa belongs to the Afrikaaners.

The cause of these protests was the same as those that are happening across South Africa right now - inept governance and failure to return dignity to those who have been completely marginalised by Colonialism and Apartheid.

So, why is Hermanus peaceful today? Why has there not been a violent protest since December 2018?

The reason is that the people have been given a voice, those that govern have listened, and the privileged have started to show empathy for their neighbours. After a peaceful protest on the 7th of December 2018, the DA government finally recognised community leaders as leaders, stopped their “thugs and terrorists” narrative, and sat around the table with them to find a way forward.

With the 2019 elections around the corner and no political home, the people then established their own political party so they would have a vehicle with which they could participate in the electoral process and start taking control of their own destiny. The Land Party was formed and contested the National elections making a dent in a previously ANC stronghold.

In December 2020 our first councillor was elected in a by-election. Michael Mhana, an ordinary citizen who has no qualifications to be a councillor other than having his community’s interests at heart.

Today people in the Overstrand, and Land Party members across the country, have no interest in looting or being used as cannon fodder by the big political parties. They are chomping at the bit to get to the polls on 27th October 2021 and are focussing on assisting people to get their IDs and to register to vote.

If the most unequal town in the country can maintain peace and harmony by putting politics aside and putting the interests of the majority of citizens first, so can the rest of South Africa.

There is hope for South Africa.

All you need to do to get rid of the scourge of corruption and inequality that is starving the people and pillaging their country is to put ordinary citizens, the natural leaders of a community, into local council. There are no special skills needed to be a councillor. All that is needed is a commitment to be the voice of your community and to ensure that their issues are addressed and their needs catered for.

*StatsSA 2016

#EatTheRich #VoteLand #LGE2021 #PeopleNotPoliticians