DA takes a dip in far south
The DA has held on to Cape Town, but its support has dropped, and the trend is mirrored in several southern-suburbs wards that have long been blue bastions.
With the ANC also seeing a sharp drop in its support in Cape Town, as well as elsewhere in the country, this was the election where smaller parties flexed their muscles, winning over voters deserting the larger contenders.
The DA took 58.29% of the vote in the Cape metro, followed by the ANC with 18.6% and the EFF with 4.1% But this was down from the 66.6% it polled in 2016 against the ANC’s 24.3% and the EFF’s 3.17%.
The voter turnout in Cape Town this year was 47%, well down from 64% in 2016.
In Ward 61 this year, the DA won comfortably with 75%, but this was a drop from the 86.7% it polled in 2016. It was followed by the Cape Coloured Congress (CCC) with 6.25% and the Patriotic Alliance with 4.9%. The ANC came fourth with 3.61%, down from the 5.77% it polled in 2016 when it placed second in the ward.
In Ward 69, the DA took 63% of the vote, increasing its support from 59% in 2016 and bucking the downward slide in its support seen elsewhere across the metro. The ANC held on to second place in the ward but saw its support drop markedly from 34.8% in 2016 to 24.3%. The EFF, in third place, saw its portion of the vote double, from 3.57% in 2016 to 7.4% this year.
In Ward 64, the DA romped home with 84%, but this was also down from the 91.9% it polled in 2016. The ANC came second in Ward 64 in 2016, with 2.17%, but this year it was knocked down to fifth place, with 1.66%, and second place went to the Good party, with 3.6%. The ACDP held on to third place with 2.95%.
Pat Francke, who will now take over as the DA’s councillor in Ward 69, said her priorities included organising electricity for Masiphumelele fire victims, cleaning up the entrance to Masiphumelele, the next phase of the widening of Kommetjie Road and ongoing housing projects.
“I want to clear the streets of all the vagrants and help them reintegrate with their families and programmes through social services.”
She said she would work with other councillors to strengthen service delivery.
Ward 69 covers Capri, Fish Hoek, Masiphumelele, Sunnydale and Sun Valley.
Simon Liell-Cock, the DA councillor for Ward 61, said he would focus on the sound delivery of municipal services: water and sanitation, electricity, solid waste and transport.
Each suburb in the ward had its own needs, but safety, employment and housing were key priorities, he said.
John Mendes, the CCC’s candidate for the ward, said he was satisfied with his party’s performance.
“Within the City of Cape Town, we managed to bag seven seats. Our foot is on the doorstep. This is just the beginning of our fight for equality,” he said.
“We serve the community and will continue to hold the DA liable for service delivery, housing, employment and development within our ward.”
Ward 61 covers Ocean View, Kommetjie, Scarborough, Red Hill, Da Gama Park, Glencairn and greater Simon's Town.
The DA councillor for Ward 64, Aimee Kuhl, thanked those who came out to vote.
“I am honoured to have received an overwhelming majority from the communities in Fish Hoek to Muizenberg. It is abundantly clear - the path in front of us is daunting: rolling Eskom blackouts, social decline, a failing police force and looming environmental crisis,” she said.
“Many issues we have no control over at a local-government level. This is incredibly frustrating for all of us who want to see change. However, I will do my best to continue to push for service delivery, support safety initiatives and contribute to the protection of our coast.”
Ward 61 covers Clovelly, False Bay Coastal Park (Coastal Park Landfill Site), Kalk Bay, Muizenberg and St James.
