BY ERIC MATOME KGOMO
MIDDLEBURG/HENDRINA : The Middelburg and Hendrina Resident’s Front (MHRF) will be contesting the upcoming by-election in Steve Tshwete Local Municipality (STLM) Ward 22.
This was revealed by the organization Convener and Spokesperson Thato Mathunyane. The election will be held on 19 May 2021. The organization’s activist, Jomo Segage, will be standing for MHFR as candidate in the ward. Segage was elected as candidate during MHFR municipal executive committee meeting, which is the highest decision making body in conference.
“MHRF is anticipating to run positive election campaign and we are very proud to be associated with an organisation that does not rely on celebrities to attract votes but genuine leadership to defend the heritage of the municipality,” said Mathunayane.
He indicated that the MHRF leadership and its members, are proud to have fought the challenges of the establishment of the organization that’s having the interest of the community and will continue fighting for what’s right without any favour or sponsored resources.“We are asking the residents to mobilize each other and cast their votes for MHRF, the only alternative that will have a non-violent campaign,” explained Mathunyane. He assured that the organization will be campaigning peacefully towards the by-election and urged residents from Middleburg to Hendrina, to cast their votes for MHFR candidate for better services.
Hailing from Mhluzi in Middleburg, MHFR candidate, Jomo Segage, has been a political activist since the young age.
Segage started schooling at Mhluzi Primary School in 1980, then proceeded to Elusindisweni Higher Primary and completed matric at Mphanama Comprehensive School. He went on to further his studies at Middelburg College. Segage started his political career at Elusindisweni in 1986, as a member of Mhluzi Youth Congress, a body of the South African Youth Congress (SAYC), which was an affiliate to the United Democratic Front.
The activist was also a student under the banner of the Congress of South African Students (COSAS), until he completed secondary school. Segage was the first Student Representative Council (SRC) President at Mphanama Comprehensive School until he completed matric. Upon arriving at Middelburg College, he became the first South African Student Congress (SASCO) Chairperson and the first SRC President.
In the early 90s he was part of the Youth who re-launched the ANC Youth League after the unbanning of the party and later became the Chairperson.
In 2001, Segage left South Africa for Denmark to study International Relations and came back to work with environmental NGO. In 2003, he Left the NGO to work at the power utility, Eskom in 2003, where he became a NUMSA Shop steward and Full Time Shop steward. He was elected MHFR president in 2020 at the organization’s founding Conference.