In East Hampton, Vote Row C for Community First

During a recent three-week tour of South Africa, I had the opportunity to meet with South African economist and Parliament Member Dr. Dion George in his government office in Cape Town, South Africa. We discussed how his party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has become the official opposition party in South Africa and the governing party in the Western Cape province.

Dr. George is regarded as one of the great financial minds of South Africa. He is also the Shadow Finance Minister for the opposition party, and the spokesperson for the DA. They believe in the ‘Open Opportunity Society for All’ which is in direct contrast to the ruling African National Council’s (ANC) approach to governance which DA Party Leader Helen Zille maintains is a ‘closed, crony society for some.’

Parliament Member George generously spoke with me for nearly 90 minutes and explained how his party has grown, how they have broken up corruption and how they are leading for positive change and development in South Africa. In a recent open letter to South African President Jacob Zuma, Dr. George wrote: ‘Standup and dismiss corrupt government officials stealing valuable resources. Take a stand and lead.’

He told me, ‘We need clean government. We need to uphold the rule of law. Government must be transparent and accountable. We must not allow abuses of power and freedoms to be compromised. We have a jewel here. The other party has old ideas and we offer new opportunities and solutions for South Africa.’

While South Africa has a population of nearly 50 million and 11 official languages, the need for good, honest government is universal. You should get maximum value for your tax dollars. Vote ‘Row C’ for Community First.

Sue Weintraub
East Hampton Town Council Member & Candidate