Statement by Andrew Whitfield MP – DA EC Provincial Leader:
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape today proudly announced Councillor Bettie Lawens as our Inxuba Yethemba Local Municipality Mayoral Candidate.
Drawing on a decade of experience as a public representative and a deep connection to the community she serves, she did not hesitate to accept this responsibility and formally accepted the nomination today at the Sonskyn Hall in Nxuba (formerly Cradock).
Bettie was born in Nxuba, where she was involved in local media, reporting on residents’ service delivery struggles. Realising she could make a greater impact from within, she decided to take her fight to council.
She joined the DA and was elected as a DA proportional representative councillor in the 2016 Local Government Elections. Ahead of the 2021 Local Government Elections, she stood as ward councillor for Ward 4 and was re-elected to council.
Ten years in council has given Bettie extensive institutional knowledge of the municipality’s governance, its structures, and its operations.
Bettie is a DA stalwart in Inxuba Yethemba and is a trusted voice in the community across all wards, known for fighting to turn the fortunes of this collapsing municipality around.
She has a proven track record. Her dedication to the community and commitment to transparency and ethical leadership are the reasons why we are proud to have Bettie stand as our Mayoral Candidate. She will focus on service delivery, safety and job creation by creating a well-run municipality and attracting more investment.
With Bettie as our Mayoral Candidate, the DA is ready to bring service delivery and clean governance to the municipality and get Inxuba Yethemba working.