A number of Stellenbosch University (SU) students and recent alumni are running to be ward councillors for Stellenbosch Municipality in the 2021 municipal elections.
Three of the young candidates running to be ward councillors include Zizo Vokwana (23), a final-year BA development and environmental studies student at SU, Carli van Wyk (24), a final-year LLB student at SU, and Peter Johnson (26), who did his postgraduate diploma in marketing management at SU in 2018, according to the candidates.
“I’m very excited about young people joining politics. Their youthful energy and innovative thinking is an asset to us,” said Gesie van Deventer, the current mayor of Stellenbosch.
Voting for the ward councillor positions will take place on 1 November, said Johnson.
“It will be a pleasure to guide [the young candidates] and mentor them where and when necessary. I wish them the best for the upcoming election,” Van Deventer told MatieMedia.
Zizo Vokwana (23), a final-year BA development and environmental studies student at SU, Carli van Wyk (24), a final-year LLB student at SU, and Peter Johnson (26), who did his postgraduate diploma in marketing management at SU in 2018, are some of the young local candidates running for ward councillors in the Stellenbosch area. This is the first time that Vokwana, Van Wyk and Johnson have run for ward councillor positions. PHOTOS: Supplied/Candidates
Representing the youth
Both Vokwana and Van Wyk told MatieMedia that they are currently SU students.
Vokwana is running for ward 9, which makes up the central part of Stellenbosch, and is representing the ANC. She first stepped into the political scene when she joined the South African Students Congress (SASCO) in 2017, she said.
There is a need for younger voices in politics, in order to bridge the gap between different generations, according to Vokwana. “Experience doesn’t mean everything because you can learn on the job, as long as your heart is in the right place and you do deliver basic needs to people,” she said.
Van Wyk told MatieMedia that she is running for ward 8, which is the biggest student community in Stellenbosch, with over 20 official student residences. She is representing the DA.
“I think that’s what excites me about local governance…you can really make a substantial impact and change people’s lives by providing good services,” said Van Wyk.
In 2020, Van Wyk participated in the DA’s Young Leaders programme. The programme is intended to equip young leaders to enter the political sphere, she said.
In order of appearance: Ward 9 stretches across the centre of Stellenbosch, and includes the Town Hall and some parts of Stellenbosch University. Ward 8 is a student residential area that includes Coetzenburg Stadium. Ward 17 includes some areas in Cloetesville and the Welgevonden Estate. PHOTOS: Lara van Zyl
Peter Johnson, another young candidate for the DA, is running for ward 17, which covers the Welgevonden area and part of Cloetesville. He told MatieMedia that he has been working for the DA since 2018.
“I’ve never been more ready […] to run for a ward councillor [position],” said Johnson. “I’ve had a few comments thrown my way, saying ‘Oh, you’re so young’, and the ward in which I’m running is not the same as ward 8 or 9 […], which are more likely to be students and young working people,” said Johnson.
There are 904 candidates under the age of 30 running for municipal elections in the Western Cape, according to Michael Hendrickse, the head of the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) in the Western Cape. Ten of these candidates are in the 18-19 age group, added Hendrickse.
Ward councillor
There are 22 wards that fall under Stellenbosch Municipality, according to the municipality website.
The ward councillors must ensure basic service delivery in each area, such as access to clean water, electricity, and safe and clean living environments, said Johnson.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared 1 November a public holiday for local government elections, according to Tyrone Seale, acting spokesperson to the president, in a media statement issued on 12 October. PHOTO: Lara van Zyl
The selection process for the ward elections took place over the past year.
“We went through an extremely rigorous interview process,” said Johnson. “We had to do online modules and write exams about that.”
The candidates also had to campaign, fundraise and go through a selection panel, according to Johnson.
This article was updated on 19 October to include the information provided by the IEC.