Danielle Klaff, the only Jewish candidate in the Cape Town metro, is standing on the Democratic Alliance's (DA) proportional representation (PR) list for the upcoming municipal elections. Her focus is on water security, food security, and protecting green spaces. Klaff's environmental convictions began long before her political career, shaped by her experiences, including a gap year in Europe in 1989, where she encountered sustainable living practices on an organic farm in Bordeaux, France.
Klaff's environmental work began in earnest when she returned to South Africa during the final years of apartheid. She helped establish Kagenna, a green magazine, before moving to the Garden Route in 1991, where she spent a decade living in a community, teaching art and gardening. In 2006, she moved back to Cape Town and settled in Hout Bay, becoming involved in community development and joining Envirochild, an environmental education nongovernmental organisation (NGO).
As chairperson of Envirochild, Klaff established environmental clubs at local schools and organised the Hout Bay Green Fair, a zero-waste event powered by renewable energy, which ran for about a decade. Her community work extended beyond environmental education, as she raised funds to support vulnerable people in Hout Bay during the COVID-19 pandemic, working with community organisations to distribute food. This experience reinforced her belief in sustainable, long-term solutions for food security.
Klaff's commitment to public service has earned her recognition, including a Civic Honours Award from the City of Cape Town in 2021. She subsequently established Yummi Organics, a business supplying organic produce sourced from farms in Hout Bay and Philippi. Her environmental work eventually led her into party politics, having previously stood for the Green Party in the 2019 elections, before joining the DA in 2020.
Klaff has since worked within the DA, serving as a secretary and campaign manager, and has served two terms as the environmental representative on the ward committee for Hout Bay. Errol Anstey, the DA's city councillor, praises Klaff's experience in food sustainability as an asset to the council if she is elected. Michael Bagraim, a DA parliamentarian, also commends Klaff's commitment to public service and her stamina and compassion.
The PR system allows political parties to gain council seats according to their share of the vote, with PR councillors selected from party lists. Klaff hopes to use her experience to contribute to the city's water and food security work, addressing infrastructure challenges and promoting sustainable approaches to managing public spaces. She also wants the city to protect green spaces and trees as Cape Town grows.
Klaff's political ambitions are also shaped by her Jewish identity, as she believes in freedom of religion and the right of people to practise their faith without harming others. She supports peaceful dialogue and a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. With her candidacy, Klaff aims to bring her experience in community work to local government, addressing concerns affecting residents across Cape Town.
Key points
- Danielle Klaff is the only Jewish candidate in the Cape Town metro, standing on the DA's PR list.
- Klaff has a long history of community work, including environmental education and sustainable living initiatives.
- Her focus is on water security, food security, and protecting green spaces in Cape Town.
