WeeklySA_AdminWARD: Poswa pipped EFF and UDM rivals in a hotly contested by-election to claim a seat in the Eastern Cape’s Dr AB Xuma Local Municipality…
By Siyabonga Kamnqa
THERE was jubilation in the Eastern Cape’s Dr AB Xuma Local Municipality chambers this week as newly elected Ward 15 councillor Vuyiswa Poswa was sworn in.
This followed a clean-sweep during the by-elections by the African National Congress (ANC) following a fierce contest for the ward. The ANC came out triumphant with 70 percent votes, beating – among others – the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and United Democratic Movement (UDM) who had also vied for the ward.
Addressing the media soon after her swearing-in ceremony, Poswa admitted that winning the by-election was no walk in the park as she faced many challenges along the way. For starters, critics questioned her contesting for the councillor’s position, given the fact that her late husband was also a ward 15 councillor. Poswa’s detractors accused the ANC in the Dr AB Xuma municipality of running the ward as a “family business”. But Poswa she prevailed ultimately in spite of the negativity that dogged her campaigning, and remained unperturbed by the naysayers.
“I am not new in the organisation and for years I’ve been working hard to uplift the Ward 15 community through some of my business projects. The fact that my husband was also a ward councillor can’t be used as a weapon by my opponents to tarnish my image. “I was born in that community and I know the needs and struggles of the people from A-Z. I will work hard to ensure that service delivery takes priority,” she said.
Key among the many community priorities that Poswa wants to focus on is youth and women empowerment. She is also concerned by the ubiquitous problem of substance abuse among young people, which she said continued to rear its ugly head in the community. She aims to use sport to take young people off the streets.
“Already, I’ve been hands-on when it comes to assisting young people that are involved in sports activities. Unemployment is rife in our community, and, as a result many young people end up abusing alcohol and drugs, because they have nothing to do.
“Many women are also jobless and I believe through agricultural projects we can manage to keep the wolf from the door,” she said.
Dr AB Xuma Local Municipality Speaker, Mandilakhe Kondile, said they had confidence in Poswa and wished her well in her new role.
“We are happy today that Ward 15 will finally have a permanent councillor, who will lead them until the local government elections next year.
We appeal to the community to give her their full support. But, as the municipality, we are fully behind her and will offer her all the necessary support as she assumes this all important role,” said Kondile.
Ward 15 had been without a permanent councillor ever since former councillor, Thembinkosi Ngxengane, was convicted for a GBV case last year.
