DA embarks on 'jobs for votes' Cape Flats election drive

The Democratic Alliance has embarked on what appeared to be a jobs-for-votes elections drive in the poverty stricken township of Nyanga on the Cape Flats yesterday.

Flanked by Western Cape social development MEC Albert Fritz, DA Youth Leader Mbali Ntuli went on a door-to-door campaign and urged unemployed youths to give them their details to her party to improve their chances of gaining temporary jobs during the upcoming Easter holidays.

DA functionaries in the areas said that more that 34 desperate youngsters have put up their names in the hope of securing jobs following their interaction with Ntuli.

Western Cape Education MEC Donald Grant was the campaign.

However, both Ntuli and Fritz were quick to say they were not on a jobs-for-votes campaign,

But the MEC said he did not care, if his party was accused of buying votes through jobs.

Ntuli argued that neither voting for the DA nor being its card-carrying member was a requirement to get the job.

“It’s not even [jobs] that we are offering for votes, [We are saying] here is an opportunity that is happening, we would like to tell the community about it whether or not you are involved with the DA, that’s beside the point,” said Ntuli.

She said it was the job of political parties to give information that people can use to access opportunities regardless of which party they supported.

Fritz claimed that he had received phones from companies looking for youths to employ.

He said he would forward all the 34 names to a leading supermarket which was planning to hire more than 30 people during the bumper Easter sales period.

He declined to name the retailer.

Fritz said he did not care if the DA was accused of selling jobs in exchange of votes.

He said if he took the jobs to his constituency in Mitchell’s Plain, he would also have been accused of discrimination.

“I am standing here with information (that there are openings) and [other political parties] are saying ‘we are going to create jobs,’ [but] I’m saying I have jobs,” said Fritz.

“I don’t care what [people] think as long, as I can make a difference in the lives of other human beings. They can say it’s electioneering, so what? Who cares? I don’t care!”