Parties out campaigning for Bay by-elections
POLITICAL parties were out in full force yesterday in a final bid to woo Port Elizabeth voters for tomorrow’s by-elections in two wards.
The by-elections are for Ward 4 (Walmer Township) and Ward 14 (New Brighton/ Sydenham).
Campaigning aggressively, the ANC led a motorcade through New Brighton, handing out pamphlets and T-shirts and urging voters to cast their ballots for the ANC.
Later in the afternoon, DA MP Yusuf Cassim also led a motorcade through New Brighton, where they too drummed up support. The EFF was also out campaigning. The two wards were won by the ANC during the local government elections in August.
However, Ward 4 candidate Nceba Dywili was gunned down in Zwide a week before the elections. He received 81.5% of the votes.
In Ward 14, the ANC’s Duane Adams, a senior executive at the SA Revenue Service, secured 71.31% but could not serve as he had a full-time job.
The ANC’s delegation of volunteers included ANC MPL Chippa Ngcolomba and Bay councillors Queenie Pink, Litho Suka and Andile Mfunda.
The party’s Eastern Cape secretary, Oscar Mabuyane, was canvassing in Walmer township, optimistic that the party would, again, receive the majority vote. He urged members of the public to come forward with any information that might lead to an arrest for Dywili’s murder.
“We urge the police to find the culprits. We are prepared to pay a reward to whoever can come forward with credible information that may lead to an arrest,” Mabuyane said.
In New Brighton, ANC regional task team coordinator Beza Ntshona was confident the ANC would retain the wards.
“Obviously. We have been doing work for the past weeks,” he said.
Cassim and DA activists lobbied for residents to go out in their numbers and vote for change.
“It is going to be a tight race. We have worked extremely hard and you can see by the reaction of the voters.
“Residents want change in their ward as well, even with the change that has come to the metro. So, we are quite confident,” Cassim said.
He was flanked by DA MP Hlomela Bucwa, councillors Nqaba Bhanga, Andrew Whitfield and Kabelo Mogatosi, as well as the party’s provincial chairwoman Veliswa Mvenya.
Meanwhile, the EFF also left no stone unturned in Ward 14, as they too canvassed for votes.
EFF councillor Yoliswa Yako said residents of Ward 14 were impressed with their manifesto.
“The support has been great. Residents are more than willing to vote for us,” Yako said.
“We want a 24-hour clinic. We want the elderly not to pay for [municipal] rates.
“That is why the residents are responsive to our manifesto,” .