The following speech was delivered by DA Ray Nkonyeni Mayoral Candidate, Leon Garbade at the announcement of our Ward Councillor candidates in the municipality.
Find pictures: here, here and here.
Fellow residents of Ray Nkonyeni Municipality, Leadership, Candidate councillors, members of the Media, I greet you all.
My name is Leon Garbade, and I stand before you today with a simple pledge:
The DA will work to get Ray Nkonyeni working again—for everyone.
People have grown tired of empty promises, tired of repairs that never happen, and tired of services that seem to break faster than they are fixed.
And I understand that fatigue—because I travel through our communities.
I hear it in the queues at shops.
I see it when water pressure drops in the middle of the day.
I hear it when refuse piles up and families have to live with the smell and the risk.
I hear it when roads are damaged and taxis and residents alike have to slow down, swerve, and endure the wear and tear on vehicles.
Ngilalele, I am listening, this team is listening.
But today, I am not here to blame. I’m here to lead.
Our turnaround plan is grounded in the DA’s core manifesto commitments:
Good governance, clean and accountable administration, service delivery that is measurable and transparent, safer communities, and economic growth that creates jobs.
Let me speak to you about what “getting the town working for all” means in real terms.
First: reliable services—especially water, sanitation, refuse removal, and electricity-related municipal support. This comes from employing competent, passionate people and ending cadre deployment.
Second: clean, accountable governance.
Ray Nkonyeni is not a place for politics as usual. It is a place for results. This DA team believes that public money must be spent responsibly, and that corruption and mismanagement must be confronted—not protected.
So we will strengthen financial management, improve budgeting discipline, and ensure that procurement is transparent and monitored.
You will know where your money is being spent and you won’t have to wonder.
Third: safer communities and faster response.
The DA Government will work towards capacitating our existing municipal police force both traffic and law enforcement, resource them correctly and even form specialised units.
Safety is not only about policing; it is also about how communities are managed. Street lighting, visible municipal presence, and clean public spaces all contribute to safety. When areas are dark, overgrown, or neglected, crime and disorder become easier.
Fourth: roads, stormwater, and infrastructure that protects people.
Anyone who has lived here knows that when it rains, problems due to a lack of maintenance, become emergencies quickly. Blocked stormwater drains, potholes, and damaged roads don’t just inconvenience they are a danger.
Fifth: support for local economic growth and jobs.
A working town is not only about services—it is also about opportunity. When municipal systems work, businesses can plan, residents can access services faster, and local trade becomes easier and, in this area, the focus needs to be on small business, investment and tourism.
Now, let me bring this back to today’s purpose: the announcement of councillor candidates.
Councillors are the bridge between communities and government.
They are the ones who must listen, report, and ensure delivery.
Under the DA, councillors are not there to be silent or invisible. They are there to be accountable champions of their wards.
So to our councillor candidates here today:
Your job is not simply to campaign.
Your job is to deliver.
You have to be present in communities, you must understand the issues in your ward, and you must track progress until residents feel and see the difference.
And to the residents of Ray Nkonyeni:
I ask you to work with us—because real change happens when government and communities build trust and work together.
Ray Nkonyeni has potential.
REAL tourism and development potential.
We have people with talent,
communities with resilience,
and a municipality that CAN function properly when leadership is principled and systems are managed with discipline.
As DA Mayoral candidate, I will work with this team of candidate councillors, every day to get Ray Nkonyeni working again—for all.
For every household that needs water.
For every parent who wants safe streets and clean environments for their children.
For every worker who needs reliable roads and services to get to work.
For every business that wants a municipality that responds, helps and nurtures.
For every resident and citizen in this area – Ray Nkonyeni deserves better—and this DA team will deliver it.
Thank you.