Note to Editors: The following speech was delivered by DA Leader, Geordin Hill-Lewis, at the Nelson Mandela Bay and Kouga rallies in the Eastern Cape today.
Pictures are attached here, here, here and here.
Molweni, Nelson Mandela Bay!
Good afternoon, Gqeberha!
It is wonderful to be back in this beautiful city.
And thank you to every person who has come here today because you care about the future of Nelson Mandela Bay.
Thank you for your warmth, your welcome, and the incredible energy you are bringing to this campaign.
And looking at this crowd today, I can feel it: Nelson Mandela Bay is ready!
I can feel the excitement building here in Nelson Mandela Bay.
It is reaching fever pitch.
I want every resident of Nelson Mandela Bay to hear one message today: The DA is within striking distance of winning this metro!
We can win it, your vote can win it!
But we will only win if every single DA voter turns up on election day and votes DA.
The future of Nelson Mandela Bay will be decided next Wednesday. Don’t miss it! Don’t stay at home!
Let’s get as close as possible to 100% turnout of every DA supporter.
My second call is to the thousands who are considering voting for the DA for the first time.
I applaud and salute your decision.
When you vote for the DA next week, we will not let you down! You won’t be disappointed. You, and your family, and your children, will soon see the benefit of a DA government – better services, more jobs, zero tolerance for corruption!
Give us the chance, and we will show you how the DA serves every resident, in every community.
This city is ready for a fresh start!
Ready for a government that gets things done. Ready to show the whole country that South Africa can work for everyone!
This city has so much potential.
But potential does not put a mayor in office. Potential does not change things. Votes do.
This is a turnout election. It will be decided by the people who show up.
We must turn every willing supporter into a voter.
Every conversation into a commitment to vote.
Every bit of this incredible energy into action on election day.
Let’s convert our hope into votes!
And when somebody asks what that vote can achieve, tell them to look at Kouga.
Under Hattingh Bornman and his team, Kouga is a shining example of progress in the Eastern Cape.
Its R200 million roads programme is moving forward. Already, about 28 kilometres of roads have been tarred, and another 33 kilometres have been resealed.
Just this month alone, electricity was brought to 150 families in Thornhill.
That is progress you can see. Progress that makes everyday life better.
There is more work to do, and that is exactly why we must return a DA majority to Kouga.
Give Hattingh and his team the mandate to keep going!
Now, Nelson Mandela Bay, imagine what we can do here.
Imagine PE with five stable years of government led by Retief Odendaal.
Five years to tackle broken infrastructure and restore reliable services. Five years to rebuild a municipality that residents can depend on. Five years to get this beautiful, wonderful city moving forward again.
Imagine reaching the end of those five years and being able to point to the difference.
A city government that wakes up every morning focused on the same job of making your life better.
A government that repairs water pipes, maintains roads, collects rubbish, and treats public money with respect.
A government that gives businesses the confidence to invest, to expand, and to employ more people.
That is what we are fighting for.
We know that years of neglect cannot be repaired overnight. It will take hard work, honest leadership, and a government that stays focused.
Retief is ready to take on that work. And this city deserves the stability that will let him get on with it.
With enough DA supporters turning out, Nelson Mandela Bay can be the next metro to elect an outright DA majority. Just think about that.
We can begin the work of restoring this city together.
Friends, look at what these two neighbours could achieve together.
Kouga building on its progress. Nelson Mandela Bay beginning its recovery.
These municipalities can become powerhouses of the Eastern Cape and of the whole of South Africa.
That is how we build a country of hope. With more places working, more people getting opportunities, more communities moving forward.
And that is the blue wave we are building across South Africa!
So when you leave here today, take this message with you. Speak to your family. Call your friends. Talk to your neighbours.
Make your plan to vote. And encourage the people around you to make their plans too.
If you have supported the DA for years, we need you. If this will be your first DA vote, you are welcome here.
Do not leave it to somebody else. This is your city. This is your future. This is your chance to help change it.
Let’s give the DA five stable years to rebuild Nelson Mandela Bay!
Let’s turn the hope we feel today into the votes that make it happen!
And let’s show the country, together:
South Africa can work for everyone!