Democratic Alliance (DA) leader, John Steenhuisen, took his Heritage Day commemoration to Lentegeur in Mitchells Plein on the Cape Flats. Steenhuisen spent time with the young and the old, sharing some traditional meals with the community.
It was a Heritage Day feast, starting at Lentegeur Park in Mitchell’s Plein, with the display of different potjiekos meals prepared by various Good Samaritans. The young ones from the area lined up to get a hotdog bite for the day, served by the DA leader, accompanied by Provincial MEC for Mobility, Ricardo Mc Kenzie.
“It’s Heritage Day and we are here at Mitchell’s Plein. Unfortunately, the weather is not playing its part but I can see the people are enjoying the food. Great potjiekos there. We’ve had some wors rolls. Everyone is here to celebrate Heritage Day and the diversity of our wonderful country reflected on the traditional meals, traditional clothes, traditional celebrations that we have on Heritage Day, which shows the richness of south, that our diversity is in fact our greatest strength in our nation.”
Celebrating #HeritageDay with the people of Mitchells Plain at a Potjiekos competition where I was joined by the Mitchells Plain Constituency Head, Ricardo Mackenzie MPL and Ward 76 Councillor Avron Plaatjies. pic.twitter.com/aDV5wXIJub
— John Steenhuisen MP (@jsteenhuisen) September 24, 2023
The cooks, who competed for the best Heritage potjiekos competition, were announced with various runners up. From Lentegeur Park to the Mont Claire old age home in the same area, the feast was shared with the elderly. The oldies lined up to enjoy and have a taste of some of the three winning potjiekos pots dished out by Steenhuisen.
“I think people underestimate the huge crisis we have amongst elderly people in this country. The old age pension has not kept up with inflation. It’s hardly enough to feed a family and let alone pensioners anymore and it make life very difficult. Cost of food has gone up exponentially. Chicken, eggs, meat, vegetable all gone up. So, it’s very good to able to share a meal with our older folk today.”
Pictures taken by Mercedes Besent
During his interaction, Steenhuisen also encouraged the supporters to register to vote in next year’s elections. The DA leader says he is confident that his party will retain its stronghold in the Western Cape Province.
“The DA is gonna win here but only if all voters register and come out on election day. No one must take anything for granted. We made huge progress here in the Western Cape we can’t afford to go backwards, so we need the people to come up in big numbers and make sure the DA holds on to the Western Cape to make sure that we can continue with our majority hear, but then as well we’ve got to make advance in other provinces.”
And there is less than a year left before South Africa’s watershed general elections. It will also mark 30 years since the country achieved democracy in 1994.
Today we celebrate #HeritageDay by giving back to communities.
“Getting people back on their feet by getting them into jobs is the best way to build resilience against food and other price shocks.” – @jsteenhuisen pic.twitter.com/iCl8VUnNs8
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) September 24, 2023
Heritage Day | DA holds a ‘Potjiekos’ challenge in Mitchells Plain:
