Up close and personal with the new speaker, Vasco da Gama
JOBURG – Meet the man behind the City of Johannesburg's 270 councillors, and who can speak all 11 official languages.
After years serving as the opposition’s caucus leader, Vasco da Gama, a Northern Cape born, Alexandra bred, and now Eldorado Park resident, will now ensure all the 270 councillors work cohesively “irrespective of their political party”.
The Democratic Alliance’s (DA’s) Vasco Da Gama was elected City of Johannesburg’s new speaker on 22 August as the new council’s speaker with 145 votes, defeating the ANC’s Constance Bapela who received 126 votes.
When the news broke, he received more than 2 000 WhatsApp messages, over 500 emails and countless SMSes, and said he is still working through them.
Da Gama prides himself on knowing the city “inside out,” and served on bodies like the Federal Executive and headed The Association of Democratic Alliance Councillors.
“I will now delegate powers to the Mayor and the Mayor will further delegate his powers. I will keep control in council, oversee items passed and reports that are approved in council.
“I will ensure service delivery to all citizens, irrespective of which party they support,” he said.
In his new office on the second floor of the Civic Centre in Braamfontein, Da Gama met up with us to map out his plans as the speaker of the economic hub of South Africa. Getting more public meetings held, opening up the lines of communication between the City and its residents and making sure ward councillors have the resources to serve the people, are all on his list.
Speaking about the obstacles he is faced with, Da Gama said he plans on changing the attitude of staff within the speaker’s office, the biggest department in the City.
“Once you are elected, you are a councillor. Yes, you come from a political party, but you have got to service everybody”.
Staff that still believe they are serving an African National Congress (ANC) government instead of understanding they are officials will be the biggest obstacle, according to Da Gama.
“Officials are non-partisan and are being paid to serve the citizens of the City. Once they understand that, we will have a City that works,” he said.
The new speaker also believes that the City might not deliver change as fast as people expect, “but if we continue to engage, people will understand”.
A previous member of the ANC, Da Gama was born in the Louis Trichardt in the Northern Province where his family was later forcefully removed in 1969 and Da Gama was forced to relocate to a ‘coloured’ school. Later, he moved to Alexandra and now he lives in Eldorado Park with his wife where he says he will never leave.
“Living in Eldorado Park motivates me everyday to ensure that we bring improvement to South Africa”.
Da Gama can speak all 11 official languages.
“It’s about what you think of culture, once you understand and have an interest in different cultures, language develops itself.” Da Gama confirmed that he will review employees’ qualifications, but said there will be no purge in the administration.
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