Anele Mda, an independent candidate vying for a seat in parliament, says political parties will be chasing after independents but she won’t work with any party. She is our guest on the Sunday Times Politics Weekly podcast with Sunday Times deputy editor Mike Siluma. 

We kick-start the conversation by asking her why it was important to publicly rebuke the IEC for not displaying her photo during the signing of the Electoral Code of Conduct.

Eastern Cape-born Mda tells us how she was bitten by the politics bug as a child and about her journey in politics. 

She is a former ANC member and founding member of COPE.

In a significant milestone in our democracy independent candidates have a seat at the table with established political parties for the first time in the country’s history to contest elections. 

“We are the ones who will set the agenda. Political parties will be the ones running after us, not the other way around,” she says.

Mda says she is not planning not to become entangled with any political party.

She also took swipe at some parties. “Imagine having to sit in the ANC in this day and age and lie and say there’s a good story to tell? What good story to tell? Imagine being in the DA and sit there and lie and say there’s a whole intentional embrace of Africans in the DA … Imagine me going to an EFF where I am going to be led by a demagogue that does not respect any woman leader … Imagine me going to Rise Mzansi, sitting there and acting as though ’no we’re an honest new political party that is not aligned’. Who funds you?” she said.

More is covered in detail in the conversation. Listen, subscribe for free and share with your circle.