The Labor Party has revealed that its candidate for the Liverpool south ward byelection on Saturday, April 18 will be Zeli Munjiza, pictured above
The mother of three young children has lived in Liverpool since migrating to Australia from Serbia at the age of nine with her family.
Yesterday, South West Voice interviewed Ms Munjiza over lunch at Ed Square, and she came across as a very proud local who passionately believes the time has come for Liverpool Council to go back to basics.
“Liverpool was my first experience of Australia, and I was in awe of it; to me it was Sydney, I did not realise that there was an actual Sydney CBD,’’ she says.
“And I always thought it was beautiful, but as I grew older I guess I realised there’s more potential there.
“Now, as a mum of three children I see that the footpaths are not that great, there’s rubbish everywhere, the grass is overgrown in parks.
“Carnes Hill pool, where is that, my child is a swimmer, and I have to take her to Camden for proper swimming lessons.
“Carnes Hill pool would have been a five minute walk from where I live.
“This is why we have to go back to basics at Liverpool Council – stop the squabbling internally, and focus on what the community needs,’’ says Ms Munjiza.
“Edmondson Park, we’re sitting here and it’s beautiful, but you go out in the streets and think where’s the park.
“Things like that are very important – we want to get kids off the streets and into the parks, but how can you get them into parks when there are no parks.’’
Zeli Munjiza says she threw her hat in the ring when she could see that the current council needed someone who can provide stability and a rational approach to leadership.
“I threw my hat in the ring because as a Liverpool mum of three I want the best for my kids,’’ she says.
“They are growing up in this community and I don’t want to leave, I’ve lived here all my life, so the only way to do that is to have a voice.’’