KIMBERLEY, NORTHERN CAPE — The Kimberley Action Group (KAG), originally founded as a civic movement over four years ago, has officially transitioned into a political party and will contest the upcoming November local government elections. The organization is actively canvassing for votes across the Frances Baard jurisdiction with a clear mandate focused on improving basic service delivery and enforcing strict municipal accountability.
Officially registered in 2021, the Kimberley Action Group has consistently positioned itself at the forefront of addressing pressing community issues affecting local residents. Over the years, its members have staged protests and marches, and submitted formal memorandums to local municipal authorities. These grassroots actions frequently demanded tangible improvements, including lower electricity tariffs and enhanced, reliable service delivery.
The civic movement’s evolution into a formal political party means it will now contest all 33 wards under the Sol Plaatje Local Municipality, as well as the broader Frances Baard District Municipality.
Boyce Makodi, representing the Kimberley Action Group, explained that the decision to enter the political arena was driven directly by community demand. “Communities are being ignored, Kimberley is falling apart, and the Sol Plaatje municipality is in shambles as things stand,” Makodi stated. He noted that residents repeatedly asked why the group had not yet contested elections. “We always made it clear that we are not a political movement and we do not want to contest. But at the end of the day, when we sit and look around our communities, we see that the only way to be listened to and to ensure the municipality does what it must for residents is for us to be in council. The only way to be in council is to contest the upcoming local elections.”
Echoing this sentiment, councillor candidate David Kok emphasized the need to shift the political paradigm to prioritize community survival over partisan deployment. “We want to change the spectrum of the mandate when it comes to politics,” Kok said. “The local dynamics, as we see it, require the community to survive. It is not a platform where politics should come in and deploy their members while leaving out the community. The community needs a space to breathe, a space to survive, and a space to get better services.”
The Kimberley Action Group has confirmed that it has successfully met all Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) requirements and is fully prepared and ready for the upcoming electoral contest.
