Note to Editors: The following speech was delivered in Cape Town today by the DA Leader, Geordin Hill-Lewis, at the party’s final WC rally.
Good afternoon, Western Cape!
Goeiemiddag, Wes-Kaap!
Molweni nonke!
Hoe lekker om hier uit te kyk en te sien so groot klomp mense hier.
Welkom hier!
Waar’s it lekker?
Waar’s it lekker?
As ek uit kyk sien ek mense van elke gemeenskap, van elke agtergrond,
Abantu abavela kuzo zonke iimvelaphi
People from every walk of life,
But we are all here because we are united in our love for this beautiful province.
And what a privilege it is to call the Western Cape our home.
Ons is Kaapenaars. Ons is Bolanders. Ons is Karoo mense. Ons is plattelanders en dorp mense.
Siya -iThanda Ntshona Koloni
From the mountains of the Overberg to the vineyards of the Winelands, from the beaches of the Garden Route to the wide open vlaktes of the Karoo, this is an beautiful province.
Die Wes Kaap is die beste provinsie in die land.
Dis waar die ding ruk.
But what makes the Western Cape special is not just its natural beauty.
It is its people.
Your determination, your hard work, and your kindness,
Jou vrygewigheid.
Hoe ons uitsien vir mekaar.
En ons hoop. Ithemba lethu.
Our hope in a better future.
Vriende, bahlobo,
In 25 days we will elect the local governments that will lead our towns and cities for the next five years.
Twenty five days. That is all that stands between us and Election Day.
Twenty five days until South Africans across this country make a choice about the future of their towns and cities.
So I want you to do something for me.
Turn to the person next to you.
Look them in the eye.
And say: “Twenty-five days.”
Now tell them: “We are ready.”
And when I say, “What are we going to do?”
You say: “Work hard!”
What are we going to do?
WORK HARD!
And what are we working for?
A SOUTH AFRICA WORKS FOR ALL!
Again, what are we working for?
A SOUTH AFRICA WORKS FOR ALL!
Because for the next twenty-five days, that is our job.
To work hard.
To speak to every voter we can again and again.
To take nothing for granted.
Because these elections matter.
What we are doing matters.
I want you to know that what you do every day for the DA is important for the future of South Africa.
And it is important for making sure your town works.
It is the water that comes out of your tap.
The streetlight that works when you walk home at night.
The rubbish truck that arrives.
The public swimming pool where your children swim.
The park where a grandmother can take her grandchildren on a Saturday afternoon.
And the roads, infrastructure and services that allow businesses to open their doors and employ more people.
These things may not always make national headlines.
But they make an big difference to the lives of real people.
And we should never accept that good basic services are somehow too much to expect.
We should expect them everywhere, for everyone.
Friends,
Over the past couple of months, I have been campaigning all over our beautiful province and I have seen our activists bring hope to residents.
Activists like Charles Cloete in Matzikama.
Erica May and Sivuyile Matshoba in Knysna.
Mildrid Gordon in Stellenbosch.
Dawn Frantz and Nondlela Mnwane in Drakenstein.
Faizell and Vinienne Porter in Mossel Bay.
And Ursula Barends in Cape Town.
By going out in their community day in and day out, they are bringing hope to residents.
Every time you knock on a door, you represent hope.
Every time you have a conversation with a resident, you represent hope.
You see, the DA represents hope in South Africa.
We are the change agents in South Africa.
But there are people and parties who want to stop the progress we have made.
Already in many towns in this province we have seen what chaos comes with coalition governments.
And the people paid the price for this chaos.
Our people cannot afford the parties of chaos like the PA, ANC, GOOD and EFF in government.
So on 4 November we need every DA voter to vote.
And we need you to ensure that your family and friends vote for the DA.
Because only the DA can continue to progress we have made and only the DA can defeat the chaos of the PA, ANC, GOOD and EFF.
We must never become complacent about progress. We must protect the progress we have made. And we must take every municipality where govern forward.
We must keep working until every person in this amazing province can find a job.
There is still so much more to do.
We must fight until every person is safe on our streets.
Every parent deserves to know that their children can play outside safely.
Every woman deserves to walk home without fear.
Yet far too many communities across this province live with the consequences of violent crime and gangsterism. National SAPS under the ANC has failed us.
But the DA will not accept that failure.
In Cape Town, we have added 1300 new metro police officers in this term of office alone.
Just this week we announce a dedicated SWAT and drone unit to fight crime.
Hear me now, hoor my duidelik, Ndive kakuhle,
We will do everything it takes to make our towns and cities safer. We will stop at nothing to make our towns and cities safer for everyone.
Because where the ANC led SAPS fails, the DA will deliver.
We continue to fight for investigation powers.
A few weeks ago our officers arrested some men with AK47s, and fake number plates. But you know what happened?
They were released on R5000 bail.
We don’t even know yet what they did with those guns. How many people did they kill?
But this failing criminal justice system just let them out.
That is why we must fight for more powers, because under the DA criminals like that would never be out on the street.
And part of fighting crime is also investing in better communities.
And I am so proud that we have done that.
A working, clean public swimming pool is not a luxury. Every child and family deserves a clean park, working library and decent sport field.
These facilities belong to the public.
It is about making our towns and cities places where people can enjoy their lives, build friendships, and feel proud of their neighbourhoods.
And when we make our towns safer, and we invest in the community, and we build good infrastructure, something amazing happens.
The economy grows, and more people get into work.
The towns and cities in province have created more jobs than any other in the last five years.
Here is the basic rule: Where the DA governs, jobs will follow.
Waar die DA regeer, mense kry werk.
Apho i-DA ilawula khona, abantu bafumana umsebenzi.
That is why this party, and this province, gives me hope.
On 4 November, millions of South Africans will have the opportunity to determine the future of their local governments.
That opportunity should never be taken for granted.
There are a whole lot of small parties who want to steal our progress.
But every time they get the chance, they destroy towns. Hulle vernietig vordering. Hulle vernietig goeie regering. Hulle verneitig basiese dienste. Ons weet wie hulle is.
Daai gladde bekke wat die wereld belowe maar lewer niks nie.
Hulle sê tien dinge maar doen nie een nie.
Hulle sal hard prober oor die volgende drie weke. Hulle sal nie ophou probeer om ons vordering te stop nie.
Ons moet hulle stop.
We must win.
We must win because we want a country where every town, every city and every neighbourhood can move forward.
We must win so we can take the good work we have done and are doing here, and get South Africa working for all.
Imagine when South Africa works for everyone like the Western Cape does.
That is what we are working towards. That is what we’re building.
Street by street.
Community by community.
Town by town.
That’s how we will win.
Dis hoe ons sal wen.
Siza ku-phumelela.
Siza ku-phumelela eStellenbosch.
Siza ku-phumelela eMossel Baai
Dis hoe ons wen in Kaapstad, en in George, en Swartland, en Hermanus, en Saldanha, en Matzikama, Oudsthoorn, en in elke dorp regoor ons provinsie.
We will take every town and city in the Western Cape forward for everyone!