Better Residents Association
{{short description|Political party in South Africa}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox political party
| name = Better Residents Association
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| logo = Logo_of_the_Better_Residents_Association.jpg
| colorcode = {{party color|Better Residents Association}}
| leader =
| chairperson =
| president = Delta Mokoena
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| split = African National Congress
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| ideology = Localism
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| seats1_title = National Assembly seats
| seats1 = {{Composition bar|0|400|}}
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| website = {{URL|https://www.facebook.com/Better-Residents-Association-BRA-553564971814057/}}
| country = South Africa
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The Better Residents Association is a minor South African political party formed by disgruntled African National Congress members in 2011. Initially formed as the Bushbuckridge Residents Association, the party changed its name in order to contest elections in all provinces.{{cite news |last1=Machaka |first1=Thabiso |title=Better Residents Association targeting 3 provinces |url=https://www.capricornfm.co.za/index.php/2019/04/08/better-residents-association-targeting-3-provinces/ |accessdate=24 August 2019 |agency=Capricorn |archive-date=24 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190824170840/https://www.capricornfm.co.za/index.php/2019/04/08/better-residents-association-targeting-3-provinces/ |url-status=dead }}
Vigilantism
In February 2017, the party's president, Delta Mokoena, began a 10-year prison sentence for vigilantism. He was convicted in 2013 of threatening to burn a resident and his house if the man, whom he accused of having a thief as a son, did not leave the area.{{Cite web |url=http://city-press.news24.com/News/president-of-vigilantic-political-party-jailed-for-intimidation-20170224 |title=President of 'vigilantic' political party jailed for intimidation |last= Yende |first=Sizwe Sama |website=news24.com |publisher=City Press}}
The party has been accused of 'causing a reign of terror', making use of kangaroo courts, torturing suspected criminals, and banishing residents it accused of being witches or Satanists.
Public representatives
Cleopas Maunye served as the party's sole representative in the provincial legislature until he was recalled from the legislature in March 2017. Cecil Shilakwe was appointed his successor.{{Cite web|url=https://013.co.za/2017/04/25/bras-treasurer-cecil-shilakwe-sworn-new-mpl/|title = BRA's treasurer Cecil Shilakwe is sworn in as new MPL|date = 25 April 2017}}
Election results
The party won its first seats at local government level in the 2011 municipal elections, and after the 2016 municipal elections holds seats in the Bushbuckridge and Bela-Bela local municipalities.Yende, Sizwe Sama. [https://city-press.news24.com/News/the-bra-the-anc-cant-afford-to-ignore-20160813 The BRA the ANC can’t afford to ignore], City-Press News24, 15 August 2016. Retrieved on 24 August 2019.
The party also won one seat in the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature in the 2014 general election, although it lost it in the 2019 election.{{cite news |title=Elections 2019: Winners and losers |url=http://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/elections-2019-winners-and-losers/ |accessdate=24 August 2019 |publisher=SABC News |date=11 May 2019 |quote=and the VF Plus will replace BRA with one seat.}}
In December 2020, the party lost three of its 14 seats in the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality after it expelled three of its ward councillors, and did not contest the resulting by-elections.{{Cite web |last=Sussman |first=Wayne |date=2020-12-10 |title=BY-ELECTIONS OUTCOME: Christmas comes early for the ANC in Oudtshoorn and Bushbuckridge, but it loses a seat to a new party in the Overberg |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-12-10-christmas-comes-early-for-the-anc-in-oudtshoorn-and-bushbuckridge-but-it-loses-a-seat-to-a-new-party-in-the-overberg/ |access-date=2020-12-24 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}}
=National elections=
{{election table}}
|-
! Election
! Total votes
! Share of vote
! Seats
! +/–
! Government
|-
! 2014
| 15,271
| 0.08%
| {{Composition bar|0|400|hex={{party color|Better Residents Association}}}}
| {{steady}} ±0
| {{no|extraparliamentary}}
|-
! 2019
| 9,179
| 0.05%
| {{Composition bar|0|400|hex={{party color|Better Residents Association}}}}
| {{steady}} ±0
| {{no|extraparliamentary}}
|}
=Provincial elections=
{{election table}}
! rowspan=2 | Election{{Cite web |url=https://www.elections.org.za/NPEDashboard/app/dashboard.html |title=Results Dashboard| website=www.elections.org.za |access-date=2019-05-11}}
! colspan=2 | Eastern Cape
! colspan=2 | Free State
! colspan=2 | Gauteng
! colspan=2 | Kwazulu-Natal
! colspan=2 | Limpopo
! colspan=2 | Mpumalanga
! colspan=2 | North-West
! colspan=2 | Northern Cape
! colspan=2 | Western Cape
|-
! % !! Seats
! % !! Seats
! % !! Seats
! % !! Seats
! % !! Seats
! % !! Seats
! % !! Seats
! % !! Seats
! % !! Seats
|-
! 2014
| - || -
| - || -
| - || -
| - || -
| - || -
| 1.15% || 1/30
| - || -
| - || -
| - || -
|-
! 2019
| - || -
| - || -
| 0.01 || 0/73
| - || -
| 0.04 || 0/49
| 0.72% || 0/30
| - || -
| - || -
| - || -
|}
=Municipal elections=
{{election table}}
|-
! Election
! Votes
! %
|-
! 2016{{cite web | url=http://www.elections.org.za/content/LGEPublicReports/402/Detailed%20Results/National.pdf | title=Results Summary - All Ballots | publisher=elections.org.za | accessdate=11 August 2016}}
| 73,468
| 0.19%
|-
|}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Portal|South Africa|Politics}}
{{South Africa political parties}}
{{Politics of South Africa navbox}}
{{Political history of South Africa}}
Category:2011 establishments in South Africa
Category:African National Congress breakaway groups