Democratic Alliance (DA): Langa Bodlani

POLOKWANE – Born and raised in Soweto at the height of political turmoil in South Africa, Langa Bodlani saw a future in politics from an early age.

“Since my formative years growing up in politically volatile Soweto, one could not have avoided politics,” says Langa.

But he dreamt of being a lawyer after school. He graduated from Wits University, where he became involved in politics.

“I was the chairperson of the Wits branch of the now defunct South African Liberal Student Association arguably the precursor of what is now a growing army of liberal young people. Shortly after that I joined the Democratic Alliance, which I believe to be the most vocal party in South Africa when it comes to the promotion of the rule of law and market economy,” he says.

He joined the DA officially in 2007 as a researcher and official provincial spokesperson for the the party and has now been selected as the premier candidate for the election. “I became premier candidate after serving in the provincial executive of the party as a spokesperson. I went through a very stringent selection process to emerge as premier candidate.”

As the first order of business, Bodlani says if he is elected as premier, he will start by getting education in the province on track. “It is an affront to our liberation that this government still cannot get our education right, which should have been its priority,” Bodlani says. During the election campaign, Bodlani says he spends most of his time interacting and having contacts with people in the province as he believes this is the only way to identify the needs of the people.

“I grew up in a very volatile Soweto and had first hand experience in identifying the needs of the people. Going to their homes and living what they live means I do not only hear what they want, but I feel what they feel and face what they face daily.

“I walk kilometres on end with a grandmother who has to fetch water. I walk to schools with the children who do not have proper sanitation, roads and schools but make their way there day after day, walking for hours on end sometimes. This is how you identify needs, not by sitting in an office.”

The health system is also one of the main reasons for concern for Bodlani as he lost his wife to cancer a short while ago and feels he can make a change with the experience he has in health care. “Our health system in itself is ailing and it cannot be right that people cannot get medication from public clinics. Illnesses like cancer need medication and treatment and here we can not fail the people,” he says.

Bodlani believes that voting is a hard won right for the majority and not a rubberstamp to endorse the rampant corruption now seen in government.

In his free time he spends as much time with his family as possible. “Being successful in the public eye means nothing if you are not successful at home.”