Good turnout at voting stations for Ward 1 elections
WARD 1 voters queued in their numbers yesterday to make their mark in the ward by-elections.
Hundreds of residents came out to vote following the firing of DA councillor Rashied Adams last year. Adams is now the candidate for COPE, which also contested Ward 1.
A festive mood pervaded at voting stations at the Cheshire Home, the Mance Karate Club, Riverside Tents and Elukholweni Farm School.
The ward includes Summerstrand, Lakeside, Seaview, Theescombe, Lovemore Heights, Mount Pleasant and Schoenmakerskop.
Candidates at Cheshire Home weighed in on the news that former ward councillor Stanford Slabbert had been welcomed by the ANC to mentor their young candidate, Siviwe Ngaba.
Slabbert was booted out of the DA four years ago after for distributing an e-mail titled “Opinion on SA”, copied from an anti-ANC blog and sent to councillors and senior DA leaders in the Eastern Cape. Slabbert claimed he had not read the e-mail before sending it on.
Adams was fired from the DA in December after he failed to pay a compulsory tithe to the party, prompting yesterday’s by-election.
“In all honesty Slabbert can add value with regards to mentoring the new councillor,” Adams said.
DA candidate Tracy Weise said: “He must do what he needs to do but it is a massive change of views. This has not impacted our campaign in any way and everything is going well.”