Why is Clr Ashley Rutherford standing independently in elections?
It might already be common knowledge to some in the community that DA Ward 92 councillor Ashley Rutherford will be standing as an independent in the upcoming local elections.
New ward councillor for ward 92
The Advertiser caught up with her to establish the reasons behind her recent move and her future plans for the town as an independent candidate.
She joined the DA two starry-eyed years ago, with no political background whatsoever, hoping to make a difference in the lives of residents.
What the Advertiser discovered within her is a deeply rooted desire to serve her community.
She is not a politician, but loves being a ward councillor. She joined the DA hoping to help her fellow residents even more than she could as a normal member of her community.
Rutherford stated that, as an independent councillor, she will be able to devote 100 per cent of her time to residents and to service delivery, honestly earning the salary which is paid by the ratepayers, via the Ekurhuleni Metro.
Political party candidates, she argues, are expected to advance the party above all else.
“I was very disappointed when I saw how the politicians used the misery of my residents during the two recent water crises (in 2014 and 2015) to do canvassing and electioneering for the party instead of trying to help them,” she said, adding that this influenced her decision to stand independently.
Although the plan has been in the pipeline since the first incident in 2014, she made her final decision to distance herself from politics in November 2015.
“Twice my residents were left without water for several days, the party promised them wonderful things, none of which materialised,” said Rutherford.
Does all this mean there is bad blood between her and her former party (DA)?
“I will always treasure the time I spent in the political party as it was a huge learning experience, where I learnt that the residents cannot and do not get value for their rates and taxes from a politically appointed councillor,” she explained.
However, these last two years have taught her that she never, ever wants to be a politician.
In the upcoming elections, she will be standing for wards 20, 36 and 92 in Germiston and Wards 17, 22 and 33 in Boksburg.
Asked if there are any major differences between being a political party representative and an independent candidate, especially when it comes to effecting service delivery, Rutherford said that, as a political ward councillor, 90 per cent of her measured work had to be political.
“As an Independent candidate I can devote all my time to helping my residents and doing my council duties,” she added.
“When I joined the DA and ran for the by-election, I was under the impression that the ward councillors helped the residents, while the PR councillors did the political work. It was a strategy that my DA branch chairperson and I agreed upon. We also agreed that I would not feed my residents the same story that the previous councillors had been telling them, of how they couldn’t do their jobs because they were not the ruling party.”
Rutherford is disappointed in the DA, however.
“Boksburg has been DA run for the last five years and it should be a showpiece for the party.
“However, the DA only “expects” to win 85 of the 223 seats available in Ekurhuleni in the LGE on August 3, so are we going to be fed the same old story while our once beautiful towns fall further into decay and ruin for the next five years?
“I cannot wait another five years – it’s time to get the politicians out of our towns and bring back councillors who want to make a difference.
“Residents want service delivery, they don’t need excuses.
”There are wonderful officials who go out of their way to help the residents, as can be seen by the feedback from the officials on the Boksburg Service Delivery group on Facebook.
Why should residents vote for her?
“In a municipal election, vote for the person who will make a difference in your lives, a person who will put their residents first,” urged Rutherford.
