ANC welcomes results
SIX NEW ANC ward councillors will be sworn in at Sol Plaatje Municipality following Wednesday’s by-elections.
ANC provincial secretary Deshi Ngxanga yesterday welcomed the results of the by-elections that were hotly contested.
Ngxanga said the party would work together with the ANC caucus at the municipality to “urgently address” service delivery challenges that were highlighted during door-to-door visits.
He said pressing issues raised include the need to find a permanent solution to the city’s water crisis, issues relating to electricity and the high levels of unemployment in the Sol Plaatje municipal area.
“The ANC would like to thank the thousands of ANC members and supporters who came out and displayed confidence in the ANC. Hundreds of volunteers worked tirelessly to ensure that we received a resounding victory in all of these wards.”
The Azanian People’s Organisation (Azapo) also thanked voters for their support during the by-elections.
“The results send a strong message to political parties that communities are preparing themselves to take back their power. Judging from the victory margin, it is clear that the community of Galeshewe can no longer be taken for granted by political parties. The outcome of the elections speaks for itself, that there are no big political players,” said the provincial spokesperson for Azapo, Tebogo Maarman, yesterday.
Maarman also advised the new councillors that their performance would be closely monitored.
“They must ensure that the interests of the community receives priority before party politics.”
Cope meanwhile congratulated the independent candidates on their performance in the by-elections.
The party chose not to contest the by-elections in favour of supporting the independent candidates.
Cope provincial secretary Chris Liebenberg pointed out that the ANC had lost its grip on its former strongholds.
“Their majority has been significantly reduced in all the contested wards, while they also lost one ward. Moreover, there was a large number of voters who chose not to vote, that shows a lack of confidence in the party,” said Liebenberg.
He applauded the independent candidates for their bravery and for standing by their convictions.
“They understood that it is not in the interest of a competitive democracy to have power concentrated in one political party.”
Liebenberg believed that the independents had waged a “David and Goliath battle”.
“State resources were extensively misused to intimidate opponents.”