Dereleen James & ActionSA Used Hanover Park as a Campaign Gimmick

Everything about Dereleen James & ActionSA launching her Cape Town Mayoral Campaign in Hanover Park has irritated me to the depths of my core.

Dereleen James arrived in our community with a full array of state resources at her disposal. She focussed on pointing out everything wrong in our community without acknowledging the work already being done by our own community workers. She used well-known Cape Flats artists and personalities to generate social capital and attract people to their launch.
Her entire approach left a bitter taste in my mouth, and I want to explain why.

Why the Dereleen James ActionSA Approach is Wrong for Hanover Park

ActionSA came into Hanover Park, Cape Town, with resources that many of us who live and work here consistently struggle to access. Dereleen James often arrives in Hanover Park with SAPS and the army in tow. These are resources that are often unavailable when a family loses a loved one, when there are shootings in our streets or when our community faces crises that require urgent intervention.

What frustrated me most was not that they highlighted the challenges we face. We know our challenges. We live with them every single day.

What frustrated me was the way they seemed to undermine and dismiss the incredible work that the people of Hanover Park are already doing to liberate ourselves.

Dismissal and Erasure of Existing Community Structures

When you focus only on what is wrong without acknowledging what is being done right, you erase the sacrifices of the very people who keep this community going.

• You erase the neighbourhood watch members who volunteer their time and put their lives at risk to make our streets safer.
• You erase the volunteers who run walking bus programmes, making sure children get to and from school safely.
• You erase the churches, mosques, NGOs and community organisations that run feeding schemes so families do not go to bed hungry.
• You erase the youth leaders who dedicate their time to after-school programmes, creating safe spaces where children can play, learn, create, and dream beyond the circumstances around them.
• You erase the teachers, healthcare workers, law enforcement officers, drug rehabilitation centres, local businesses, counsellors and countless other people who show up every day to ensure Hanover Park remains a functioning community despite enormous challenges.

Most importantly: The Dereleen James & ActionSA approach dismisses the spirit of a community that refuses to give up on itself.

No Prior Engagement or Offer to Partner with Existing Stakeholders

The many volunteers in Hanover Park are not paid for the amazing work they do, and hey do not receive political recognition for it. They do not have campaign budgets, media teams or large platforms behind them. Yet they continue to show up because they love Hanover Park and believe that our people deserve better.

I would have had far more respect for ActionSA if Dereleen James had arrived here and said:
“We recognise the incredible work already happening in Hanover Park, and we want to work alongside the people who have been carrying this community on their shoulders for years.”
That would have felt like a partnership.

Instead, what I saw was a narrative that focused almost entirely on what is broken while failing to acknowledge the people who have been working tirelessly to fix it long before any political campaign arrived.

Nothing About Us Without Us

Hanover Park is not a political backdrop.
It is not a campaign talking point.
It is not a community sitting idly waiting to be saved.

Dereleen James and Action SA needs to respect that Hanover Park is a community filled with resilient people who fight every day for a better future, often with very little support, recognition or resources.

Before you tell us what is wrong with Hanover Park, take the time to recognise the people who have dedicated their lives to making it better. Recognise that despite all the challenges we face, Hanover Park is still standing today because of them.
Respect for our community means you should not be doing anything about us without us.

About Laverne HippKhoi Maart
Laverne HippKhoi Maart is not affiliated with any specific political party, but, as an artist and a multi-cause activist living and working in Hanover Park, Cape Town, she understands the dynamics of the organisations and volunteers actively working in Hanover Park.
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