Kouga Alliance Golf & Fundraising Day

The Kouga Alliance Golf Day held at St Francis Bay Golf Club on March 26^th proved a huge success with not only a full field of 200 players competing but also in terms of sponsorship and donations to boost the campaign purse of the Democratic Alliance (DA) for the upcoming Municipal elections. Thanking all those players, sponsors and those who had made the day such a huge success, John Wilson, a member of the organising committee announced just how successful the day had been. Looking back at the first golf day in 2013 when the event raised R250K and the second event in 2014 increasing that amount by a further R100KWilson announced to huge applause that this year’s event had raised over R700000. No event golf day held by the DA, anywhere in the country had ever achieved this success.

Athol Trollip - DA Eastern Cape - Photo by Heilie Uys

Athol Trollip – Eastern Cape DA Leader – Photo by Heilie Uys

At prize giving after the event Athol Trollip, the Eastern Cape leader of the DA and the Mayoral candidate for Nelson Mandela Bay was the guest speaker. After a brief, but as always humorous introduction by Jeff Clause of St Francis Links, Trollip thanked all those councillors who had fought the good fight in the Kouga Municipality and how frustrating their tenure has been where their efforts are always outvoted by just the one vote majority within the council. Most exasperating has been that every decision of council has been decided by a single vote, not in the interests of the community or what’s good or what’s bad but on the numbers, ten against nine.

Trollip went on to explain how because of the dedication and hard work of the councillors and the community the DA actually won Kouga in the 2014 national election, something that had never been done before. “With the money raised at today’s event the DA was going to make sure that they win the Municipal election this time around”.

Continuing Trollip said how he meets so many South Africans say they are not interested in politics “but politics is interested in you! Politics will determine legislative framework that you live in, it will determine how much tax you pay, the kind of government you will have, the kind of service delivery you receive and it will determine who the people are who will use your tax Rands to deliver what you expect them to deliver. So if you are not interested in politics, politics is interested in you!” Stressing how every vote is important Trollip cited the situation in Port Elizabeth in the last election when the DA lost by just 12000 votes but there 40000 available voters who were “not interested in politics”

Although initially planned for May, it seems inevitable that these elections will now only be held in August. Trollip stressed how important it was for everyone to make sure everyone is registered to vote for the voting boundaries have changed since the last national elections. It is vital that one makes sure they are properly registered and the next registration days are on the 9^th and 10^th April so be sure to take the time and register.

Back to the golf prize giving!

Winners on the day were Keith Forgan, Tony Moore, Gunther Wecke and Chris Wiggett on 94 points where each received a prize presented by Elza van Lingen that included two nights’ accommodation at Simola Resort Hotel, a round of golf at Pezula and a round of golf at Simola.

Winners on the day = from left: Keith Forgan, Tony Moore, Gunther Wecke and Chris Wiggett

Winners on the day = from left: Keith Forgan, Tony Moore, Athol Trollip, Elza van Lingen, Gunther Wecke and Chris Wiggett – Photo by Heilie Uys

During prize giving several items were auctioned and to this end Jeff Clause approached Ernie Els who willingly gave a wonderful display case from “Ernie Els for Autism” with a signed cap and flag (see photo). Jeff went on to say that St Francis Links will be holding an event in June in support of Autism. The Ernie Els item was eventually sold to the highest bidder, Greg Darke on a telephone bid for R5000.

A highly successful day of both golf and fund raising for the Democratic Alliance.

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