BCM gears up for by-elections in two wards
THE ANC, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the DA in Buffalo City Metro will battle it out in two by-elections on June 20.
The metro’s by-elections follow the resignation of DA ward 18 (Vincent, Bunkers Hill, Nahoon Beach, Bonnie Doon, Woodleigh) councillor David Viaene while in ward 21 (Mdantsane’s NU13, NU12, Mdantsane West and Riverine), the position has been vacant since the death of ANC ward councillor Mlandeli Ngabayena last month.
The DA in ward 18 has fielded businessman Jason McDowell to stand against the ANC’s Andrew Sokolich, another businessman in the area.
Speaking to the Dispatch, DA BCM constituency leader Kevin Mileham said his party was confident it would retain ward 18.
The party, however, did not field a candidate for ward 21.
“We have not fielded any candidate for ward 21. However, we are confident of our win in ward 18. The DA has been doing good work in the ward and the residents are seeing evidence of that work,” said Mileham.
The ANC last weekend held two branch general meetings (BGMs) in the wards to nominate their candidates – Pumele Fini for ward 21 and Sokolich for ward 18.
The ANC’s RW Rubusana region’s head of elections Sinethemba Mashalaba said the ruling party was confident it would retain ward 21 and gain more ground in the city by winning the DA’s ward 18.
He said campaigning for ward 18 has been on-going since 2016 and the fruits of that labour would be seen on June 20.
“The ANC has previously taken DA wards, such as ward 3, and it is possible to take ward 18. We have put in a capable candidate whom we are confident will win the ward,” he said.
The EFF last week confirmed that they, too, would contest the by-elections in both wards, although they have yet to announce their candidates.
Provincial convener Yazini Tetyana said: “We are contesting all by-elections in the province, including the two in BCM. We are on the ground.”
He said the party was already campaigning in both wards.
The five-year-old party has eight PR councillors in BCM, but has yet to govern a ward in the region.