ANC celebrates retaining ward
THE ANC has retained ward
4 in the Dawid Kruiper Municipality in Upington following a by-election that was held on Wednesday.
A vacancy was created in the ward following the death of an ANC councillor.
The ANC candidate for the by-election, Louna Stander, won 56 percent (1 029) of the votes followed by the DA, which secured 42 percent of the votes.
Cope received one percent of the votes while the EFF only managed 0.71 percent.
There were seven (0.38 percent) spoilt ballots out of a total of 1 834 valid votes cast, while 3 069 voters were registered in the ward.
Reduced
The Independent Electoral Commission spokesperson, Kate Bapela, yesterday indicated that the ANC had recorded a slightly reduced margin of victory when compared to the 57.83 percent it attained in the 2016 municipal elections, where voter turnout was 59.99 percent.
Cosatu provincial secretary, Anele Gxoyiya, and ANC national spokesperson, Zizi Kodwa, congratulated the ANC on its victory in the by-election.
“It is a clear indication that the people of the Northern Cape still have full confidence in the ANC and our leaders dare not take that for granted,” Gxoyiya stated.
Meanwhile, the ANC secretary general, Gwede Mantashe, has advised all provincial secretaries and league secretaries that no provincial or regional conferences may be held after Saturday, to ensure that there were no disruptions to the national conference that will be taking place in three months’ time.
He stated that appeals should be submitted within 72 hours of the branch general meetings to prevent the appeals process from serving as “factionalist mobilisation”.
Mantashe indicated that they were in the process of appointing an election agency to collect the nomination forms, which will only be opened after processes have taken place in November.
ANC provincial secretary, Deshi Ngxanga, said that following a special request and consultation with all regional chairpersons and secretaries, Mantashe had, however, allowed “long overdue” regional conferences to be convened in the Northern Cape.
“The final road map for all regional conferences will be released soon by the Office of the Provincial Secretary.
“The branch general meetings for the regional conferences as well as the national conference will be convened simultaneously during October.
“All regional conferences will be held during the weekend of November 10 to 12.”
He added that Manatashe would visit the John Taolo Gaetsewe district, where he will address a cadres assembly on October 7 at the Wrenchville community hall.
“The secretary general will also visit the ZF Mgcawu region where he will deliver the OR Tambo lecture at the Tol Speelman Hall.”
Ngxanga said that the ANC deputy chairperson and executive mayor of the Namaqua municipality, Bently Vass, would be sworn in as a member of the provincial legislature on October 3, following the resignation of Dawid Rooi.
“Rooi has been serving as the chair of chairs and the chairperson for the portfolio committee on Economic Development at the legislature and has also served as an ordinary member in a number of committees.”