DA wins, but takes a big dip as ACDP scores
Party has to clean up its mess and bring back services, says Madikizela
DESPITE winning a stronghold ward in Bonteheuwel, the DA lost about 20% support in that area and although there was a lower voter turnout, the ACDP had the biggest increase in votes since the 2016 local elections.
Party provincial leader Bonginkosi Madikizela at the same time took a swipe at the previous DA councillor Jonathan Cupido, who he says was under-performing.
“The people of Ward 31 are happy that the poorly performing councillor resigned and that this victory presents us with an opportunity to put our best foot forward, clean up the mess that was left behind and bring back services to the people,” he said.
The DA won two of three by-elections held in the province yesterday.
Political analyst Solly Moeng said the DA should be a credible alternative party and stop its ANC obsession. “The ANC cannot be the core of every discussion you have because that is really misguided. South Africans know what is wrong in the country; they don’t need the DA to tell them what is wrong. They would like to hear what will be done to fix the mess,” he said.
Moeng also said racism was always associated with the DA just as corruption was with the ANC.
“But the DA is seemingly not dealing with the issue. First, they have to accept that and work on it actively. There have been several missed opportunities for the DA, but really they must show how they are going to make it work,” he said.
In the 2016 municipal elections, the DA with Cupido as its candidate got 81% of the vote with a voter turnout of 61%.
The winner in the Ward 31 by-election is the DA’s Theresa Thompson who got 61% of the vote with a 26% voter turnout.
In the 2016 elections the ACDP got a mere 105 votes. However, in the by-election it got 808 votes.
The ANC got 1 841 votes, but in the by-election could only manage to get 503 votes.
ACDP provincial leader Ferlon Christians, said: “The extremely low voter turnout of just 26% in Ward 31 is further confirmation that the majority of voters refuse to vote for the DA, ANC or EFF. The ACDP’s task now is to reach these voters with our positive, unifying and values-based message, and our track record of success and delivery. This will turn the tide in our favour.”
Responding to the Ward 31 by-election, a GOOD representative Shaun August said the results proved that the DA is on a downward spiral as voter turnout and their results dropped between 2016 and 2018.
“Ward 31 was a former DA stronghold and these results show a clear indication that voters are turning their backs on the DA,” he said.