Umngeni Local Municipality Mayor Christopher Pappas. Image: DA.
Pappas can beat ANC in its traditional stronghold areas – says DA
The DA’s candidate for KwaZulu Natal (KZN Premier, Chris Pappas, has been cleared of alleged corruption and nepotism.
Umngeni Local Municipality Mayor Christopher Pappas. Image: DA.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) says the ANC knows that Chris Pappas, the DA’s candidate for KwaZulu Natal (KZN Premier, can beat the ANC in its traditional stronghold areas in the province. The DA says this is why the ruling party is scared of him.
According to TimesLive, last year, former DA member Sizwe Mchunu filed a complaint with the Public Protector, claiming the uMngeni Tourism NPO, led by Pappas’s partner at the time, had been given preferential treatment by the municipality.
Pappas has been cleared of charges of corruption and nepotism.
‘ANC TERRIFIED OF PAPPAS, HENCE THE BOGUS ALLEGATIONS’
“The ANC is terrified of Chris Pappas. They know he can beat them in their traditional and stronghold areas, and that’s exactly what he’s going to do, and this won’t be the last time they come up with some bogus allegation, I assure you,” says DA provincial chairperson Dean McPherson.
Meanwhile, Pappas labeled the allegations “political stunts” to avoid the real issues facing the provincial government, which include a collapsing healthcare system due to understaffing and broken equipment.
EMERGENCE OF MK PARTY IS NOT UNUSUAL, SAYS PAPPAS
On the emergence of the MK Party in KwaZulu-Natal, Pappas said it was not unusual to be excited by a new political face in the arena.
“Much like COPE when they started, people get excited about these things, and then you ask serious questions about who the leaders are, who the structures are, and what the policies are. And when they start to fight inside — like we see now they are starting to fight for positions — those parties collapse.”
He said the emergence of parties like MK showed people in the province were willing to change their vote. “We have to be wary and understand the political dynamics of the province, but we’re largely excited because it means that people of KZN are willing to change their vote, and if they are willing to change to the IFP and MK, then they are also willing to change to the DA,” Pappas said.
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