ANC in Western Cape say they expect a strong showing in polls

THE ANC in the Western Cape is targeting to win at least 15 municipalities and reduce the DA support in the City of Cape Town during the coming local government elections on November 1.

The party won the Laingsburg municipality in 2017 and has eight in total after taking their control through by-elections.

Addressing the media yesterday, deputy provincial head of elections Nomi Nkondlo said they had identified 15 municipalities, especially “non-metro” councils.

“Those 15 municipalities include the some that we are already in a coalition with,” Nkondlo said.

She said the by-elections had given an indication where the ANC could take control of some councils after winning wards from the DA.

“In the 15 municipalities, our intention is to sustain those the ANC is already in coalition and leading but also there are some we believe are winnable.”

Commenting on the City of Cape Town, Nkondlo said their target was to reduce the DA’s presence.

“It is something we know is possible given all the challenges. The city at this point is up for grabs given all the misuse of power by the DA starting with service issues (and) workers being disgruntled.”

Cameron Dugmore, head of provincial elections, said there had been coalition partners that kept the DA in power, but they became disillusioned by its lack of commitment to deal with the majority of people in many of the towns.

“People are affected by water cuts, people who are unemployed and survive on social grants. Those DA partners have deserted them and said we would try working with the ANC to serve the whole community, particularly those at the back end of receiving services,” Dugmore said. He described the turn of events as a significant trend.

Dugmore noted that there were a huge number of parties contesting the elections in the city of Cape Town.

“What we are also beginning to see is a broad movement, an informal coalition against the DA driven by communities affected by land release issues, evictions, water cuts, and water and electricity tariffs and this not only extends to traditional working class communities,” he said.

Dugmore said the resentment, which he called the G-factor, had also gripped the middle class as the DA-aligned MEC for local government was losing a sense of being objective and using his office to target ANC-led municipalities.

He would not be drawn into commenting about a detailed coalition, saying their job was to win as many voters to the ANC.

“But the reality is you can’t anticipate the details of the coalition before you win elections.”

Dugmore said there was a broad range of organisations contesting the elections.

“It is interesting that voters are taken away from the DA. It seems the different parties are eating away the DA support.”

He said the DA had thrown its weight behind most conservatives and people in the province who wanted to break away and create a separate Cape Town and a separate province.

“In essence their true nature is alienating a huge amount of people who have no interest in what will not happen and that is divisive.”