BUTTERWORTH – Veliswa Mvenya left the African Transformation Movement (ATM) in 2021 to form the Batho Pele Movement (BPM) as a political vehicle geared towards bringing service delivery to rural communities across the Eastern Cape Province.
Mvenya believes the path to achieving service delivery in rural areas is by “reminding people of their voting rights and responsibilities” so that meaningful change can come to rural communities through their actions and the power that lies in their votes.
“Batho Pele Movement is a party that is governed by its principles and we are the soldiers of BPM principles. It was saddening that I would listen to people on (the) radio complaining about the kind of service they get at government facilities hence I decided to start the movement in 2021,” said Mvenya.
While BPM has encountered some challenges such as limited funding and not being able to reach a wider audience, these obstacles have not stopped Mvenya and her team, instead, it has fuelled her determination to make a difference in areas that other political parties have overlooked.
Criticism of her work from opposing parties serves as a motivation to continue her efforts. She believes that if she had not personally visited these communities, their voices and concerns would have remained unheard.
“The was a blind old citizen from Ngcobo that we visited whose house collapsed in March 2023, she cried her lungs out till she lost her voice and was only seen the next day. SABC showed up because I had brought the issue upfront when I went to her in September,” she added.
Unlike traditional political parties, BPM does not rely on having structures within the party but instead, the movement values the idea that everyone is a leader. By doing so, they aim to build a new system of politics that “prioritizes service delivery” and the needs of the people.
Ms Mvenya added that politics are about service delivery and not the politicians themselves.
The party was not able to hold its conference during the month of September due to lack of funding, as a mitigating factor, they now intend to combine their manifesto launch with their conference in 2024.
Their support base is currently in Mnquma and Mbhashe municipalities and through their strong belief in putting the electorate first, the BPM is optimistic that they will have grown their support base leading up to the 2024 general elections.
