Dr Malcolm Figg (DA)

What is your political background? I started political activism and became thoroughly involved in 2010 when I attended meetings and other DA events in the northern areas of Port Elizabeth. In 2013 I decided to be more hands on in terms of political matters of the DA when I completed a competence test and then applied for consideration as a public representative at provincial or national level. I was called into an interview where the panel was made of about 40 people. I was given three topics to choose from and was given some preparation time to prepare a speech. I answered questions from panel and went for a second interview after being shortlisted. The second selection panel is comprised of national and provincial leaders of the DA. The final decision then is taken by your Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) based on the recommendations from the second selection panel.

What does your job as an MP entail? On Mondays I am at my constituency and Tuesday mornings until possibly Friday mornings except for Thursdays, I attend to the Standing Committee on Appropriations. In the afternoons from Tuesday to Thursday there are plenary sittings. Thursday mornings all parties have caucus meetings until lunch time. Essentially constituency days in terms of the DA are all the time you are away from Parliament.

What is your impression of the Fifth Parliament? We are fortunate at appropriations in that we prioritise the interests of South Africans when we make decisions apart from the party line. In my understanding, from DA colleagues in other committees, the interests of South Africans are not always at the top. The National Assembly Chamber is a different space in that you defend your party’s views and position on particular issues.

What constituency area have you been assigned to you by your party? I have been deployed to the Tsitsi-Kouga region which stretches from Jeffrey’s Bay, Hankey, Humansdorp, Tsitsikamma, Stormsriver, Langkloof, Joubertina, Raquel and Louterwater.

What has been most interesting about your constituency work so far? Louterwater is a very rich area and its inhabitants are not benefitting from that richness. As a legacy I would want to leave parliament having resolved some of the issues there. Land and natural water is abundant, but there is a shortage of drinking water. To date I have managed to convince the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) to lead the project of piping the water from the natural source to the people as the Kougamma Municipality has been unable to do so. Additionally I managed to get DWS to increase the number of boreholes from one to four so that the sewage borehole supply could be separate from that supplying drinking water.

What are you most passionate about - this applies both in a political/professional arena as well as personally? I played cricket most of my life and was president of Eastern Cape Cricket up until recently. I was also treasurer of Eastern Cape Rugby before it was messed up, during Mr Cheeky Watson’s first term. I am also an outdoors person in that I fish now and again.

What is your message to South Africa? The DA understands that we currently are living in a democracy, but the ANC has left the poor down. Having survived the 2008 global recession, we should be growing at higher rates than the 0.1% we are growing at. South Africans have to vote for a political party that can alleviate their poverty as no one deserves the low standards of education and crumbling health system which South Africans suffer through.

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