Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Leadership dispute cost ANC dearly
Opposition ‘rest in peace’ as De Lille thanks supporters
of apartheid to divide South Africa”.
“But here in the Western Cape we are unified,” she said.
At one stage, when she became overcome with emotion, her deputy leader Bonginkosi Madikizela stepped in to give her a hug. After taking a few moments to compose herself, she continued speaking.
The mayor-elect also criticised those who said the DA favoured the interests of white Capetonians over their black counterparts, saying the party’s increased share of the vote showed otherwise.
“The two-thirds majority in the city of Cape Town was only possible with the votes of black Capetonians, white Capetonians, coloured Capetonians and Indian Capetonians,” she said.
After her speech, August paid tribute to De Lille’s resilience on the campaign trail, after the death of her mother, Gertrude Lindt, who died in mid-July, during the height of campaigning.
August thanked De Lille for hitting the campaign trail the day after her mother’s funeral.
jan.cronje@inl.co.za LEADERSHIP disputes, late campaigning and the might of smaller parties cost the ANC not just its former strongholds in the Cape Town metro but a chance of making inroads in other Western Cape municipalities as well.
Election results indicate not only did the DA strengthen its support base but it made inroads into what were the stamping grounds of other parties.The Independent Electoral Commission ( IEC) is expected to declare the results today after resolving any disputes lodged by political parties and receiving observer reports.
Western Cape electoral officer Courtney Sampson said the commission had received objections but would not comment further. There were 22 organisations serving as observers and about 200 volunteers offered humanitarian aid such as wheelchairs at voting stations across the province, he said.
Yesterday with just 5 percent of the votes still being audited, the results showed the DA was close to the two-thirds mark, with the ANC following with over a quarter of the vote. Other parties together received less than 4 percent of votes. These included the EFF, the Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa and the ACDP.
Analysts said the ANC suffered as a result of its indecision on leadership issues and for not prioritising the Western Cape in its campaign trail.
Collette Schulz-Herzenberg, a senior political science lecturer at Stellenbosch University, said while the DA had been aggressive in its campaign, the ANC took too long.
“The ANC did not do itself any justice by campaigning in the Western Cape late in the day. It seemed the ANC took this province as a secondary concern and the voters punished them for that,” she said.
Compared to 2011 municipal elections when the ANC enjoyed great support in metro townships such as Khayelitsha, this year its support declined and the ANC lost ground in its former strongholds in Cederberg, Matzikamma and Beaufort West among others.
Schulz- Herzenberg said how the party dealt with internal provincial leadership woes may have contributed to its loss at the polls. She likened the ANC’s lack of leadership on disciplinary matters against Marius Fransman to Cope’s leadership disputes which saw that party crumble a few years ago.
“In addition, people consider what is happening nationally when they vote in local elections. People vote for a party they think will run their locality but also the country well,” she said.
“On the other hand, the DA has shed its image of a ‘white middle- class’ party and is emerging as a model organisation with a good track record. This shows that voters are not locked in traditional loyalty patterns.”
Another local government analyst and director of Economic Development Geo Information Systems Paul Berkowitz said the results indicated it would be difficult for the ANC to regain what it has lost.
He said in the 2011 election, most Western Cape municipalities were run in either ANCled or DA-led coalitions with smaller parties, however in this year’s polls, the DA had made significant inroads leading in 19 of the 25 councils by yesterday afternoon.
“The DA has received an increase in its mandate. We hope they learn from the ANC and not assume that they will always have voter support,” he said.
noloyiso.mtembu@inl.co.za