Better Residents Association

Better Residents Association
PresidentDelta Mokoena
Split fromAfrican National Congress
IdeologyLocalism
National Assembly seats
0 / 400
Website
www.facebook.com/Better-Residents-Association-BRA-553564971814057/

The Better Residents Association is a minor South African political party formed by disgruntled African National Congress members in 2011. Initially formed as the Bushbuckridge Residents Association, the party changed its name in order to contest elections in all provinces.[1]

Vigilantism

In February 2017, the party's president, Delta Mokoena, began a 10-year prison sentence for vigilantism. He was convicted in 2013 of threatening to burn a resident and his house if the man, whom he accused of having a thief as a son, did not leave the area.[2]

The party has been accused of 'causing a reign of terror', making use of kangaroo courts, torturing suspected criminals, and banishing residents it accused of being witches or Satanists.[2]

Public representatives

Cleopas Maunye served as the party's sole representative in the provincial legislature until he was recalled from the legislature in March 2017. Cecil Shilakwe was appointed his successor.[3]

Election results

The party won its first seats at local government level in the 2011 municipal elections, and after the 2016 municipal elections holds seats in the Bushbuckridge and Bela-Bela local municipalities.[4]

The party also won one seat in the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature in the 2014 general election, although it lost it in the 2019 election.[5]

In December 2020, the party lost three of its 14 seats in the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality after it expelled three of its ward councillors, and did not contest the resulting by-elections.[6]

National elections

Election Total votes Share of vote Seats +/– Government
2014 15,271 0.08%
0 / 400
 Steady ±0 extraparliamentary
2019 9,179 0.05%
0 / 400
 Steady ±0 extraparliamentary

Provincial elections

Election[7] Eastern Cape Free State Gauteng Kwazulu-Natal Limpopo Mpumalanga North-West Northern Cape Western Cape
% Seats % Seats % Seats % Seats % Seats % Seats % Seats % Seats % Seats
2014 - - - - - - - - - - 1.15% 1/30 - - - - - -
2019 - - - - 0.01 0/73 - - 0.04 0/49 0.72% 0/30 - - - - - -

Municipal elections

Election Votes %
2016[8] 73,468 0.19%

References

  1. ^ Machaka, Thabiso. "Better Residents Association targeting 3 provinces". Capricorn. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  2. ^ a b Yende, Sizwe Sama. "President of 'vigilantic' political party jailed for intimidation". news24.com. City Press.
  3. ^ "BRA's treasurer Cecil Shilakwe is sworn in as new MPL". 25 April 2017.
  4. ^ Yende, Sizwe Sama. The BRA the ANC can’t afford to ignore, City-Press News24, 15 August 2016. Retrieved on 24 August 2019.
  5. ^ "Elections 2019: Winners and losers". SABC News. 11 May 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019. and the VF Plus will replace BRA with one seat.
  6. ^ Sussman, Wayne (10 December 2020). "BY-ELECTIONS OUTCOME: Christmas comes early for the ANC in Oudtshoorn and Bushbuckridge, but it loses a seat to a new party in the Overberg". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  7. ^ "Results Dashboard". www.elections.org.za. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  8. ^ "Results Summary - All Ballots" (PDF). elections.org.za. Retrieved 11 August 2016.