ANC nabs 2 ‘DA wards’

Hotly contested Matzikama and Cederberg swing across

THE ANC has claimed victory over the DA after snatching two of its wards in the Western Cape following two hotly contested by-elections.

The wards were in Matzikama and Cederberg and became vacant after DA councillors resigned from their posts.

The wins were hopeful signs for the 2019 general elections, said ANC provincial secretary Faiez Jacobs.

The party won a by-election in Witzenberg last week, and the low poll in Saldanha, a DA stronghold, showed that voters were in the process of abandoning the DA in droves, said Jacobs.

This week an opinion poll by the SA Institute for Race Relations (IRR) showed the ANC at 56%, the DA on 18% and the EFF on 11% ahead of the 2019 general elections.

DA spokesperson Mabine Seabe said that on the whole the DA had done very well in by-elections this year, but this did not leave the party complacent.

“The only poll that matters is the announcement of the final election results. We are hard at work ensuring that our message of change that builds one South Africa for all reaches every household across our beautiful country. Already almost 33% of South Africans are cared for by a DA administration, and we are working to increase this number,” said Seabe.

The ANC has hailed volunteers and staff involved in each of the three by-elections, adding that their dedication had played a significant role in the party’s achievements.

“In both the ANC’s successes the candidates won by almost 50%. Mathilda Bains took home 49.54% of the vote for the ANC and in Cederberg Paulus Straus won 49.19% for the ANC. In Saldanha Bay the DA retained its ward, but in another encouraging result the ANC pushed its support in the constituency to 32%,” said Jacobs.

The ANC won ward 6 in the Matzikama Municipality with 49.54%. Voter turnout was 50.73%. The DA had received 56.84% in the 2016 municipal elections.

In ward 4 in Cederberg Municipality, the ANC won with 49.19% of the votes cast compared to 67.44% that the DA received in the 2016 municipal elections. Voter turnout was 59.19% on Wednesday.

The DA retained ward 14 in the Saldanha Bay Municipality with 88.96% of the votes cast compared to 84.10% in the 2016 municipal elections. Voter turnout was 32.29% during the recent by-election.