DA wins ward in Gamagara with a massive increase
THE DEMOCRATIC Alliance increased its majority by a massive 10 percent during Wednesday’s by-elections in the Gamagara Municipality.
The DA candidate, Hendrik Johannes Fourie, won the by-elections in ward 7, retaining the seat the party won in the 2016 Municipal Elections.
The party increased its margin to 57.35% of the votes cast, compared to 46.30% in last year’s elections.
The voter turnout was 61.23%.
Fourie obtained a total of 402 votes, while Kagisho Matthews Mangoakwe from the ANC secured 288 votes, and Okaile Daniel Tlhopile, from the Economic Freedom Fighters obtained 11 votes.
By-elections were also held in Cape Town, where the ANC’s candidate Luyanda Nyingwa retained the seat, however, with a reduced margin of 70.88% of the votes cast compared to 76.74% in the 2016 Municipal Elections. Voter turnout was 38.19%.
The Democratic Alliance’s candidate in the Midvaal Municipality, Lesley Theresa Holden Visser, obtained 77.14% of the votes cast. In the 2016 Municipal Elections, the party obtained a majority of 76.59%.
The DA’s Constituency Head of Kalahari, Melinda Hattingh, said yesterday that ward 7 in the Gamagara Municipality continued to be dogged by endless service delivery problems under the ANCruled municipality.
Passionate
“Our newly-elected candidate, Fourie, is dedicated and passionate about the community he is to serve and will not rest until he can see a more visible improvement in the living conditions of the people of Ward 7.”
Meanwhile another by-election is scheduled to take place in the Province on Wednesday next week (September 27) in ward 4 of the Dawid Kruiper Municipality.
The ward has 2 996 registered votes and the seat became vacant as a result of the death of the ANC councillor.
Voting will take place at the Methodist Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church and the voting stations will be open between 7am and 9pm.
The candidates contesting the by-elections are Louna Stander of the ANC, Anna Brill of Cope, Andeline Ghafoor of the DA and Elizabeth van Standen of the EFF.
The voter turnout for this ward in the 2016 Municipal Elections was 19.40%, and the ANC candidate won the ward with 57.69% of valid votes.
IEC spokesperson Kate Bapela, reminded voters that special voting would take place at voting stations as well as home visits on Tuesday (September 26) between 8am and 5pm.
“Voters should take their identity document (ID) with them – either a green barcoded ID book, a smartcard ID or a valid temporary ID Certificate,” Bapela said.