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John Steenhuisen addressing the Cape Town Press Club.
- Before the municipal by-elections this week, DA leader John Steenhuisen says the party’s renewed leadership will ensure clean government in local councils.
- Steenhuisen believes that the DA is the only party “big and strong enough to overthrow the ANC-led governments.”
- By-elections will be held in 56 municipalities of the nine provinces.
John Steenhuisen, the newly elected DA leader, has called on voters to keep municipalities “blue” now that the party has introduced “renewed leadership.”
Recently, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) announced that by-elections scheduled for Wednesday would be held in 461 electoral districts in 56 municipalities in South Africa. A total of 600,000 registered voters would be affected.
READ | Show must go on: IEC says 2021 municipal elections are on track
The by-elections were postponed in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In a statement released Monday, Steenhuisen said it was crucial for residents to vote on Wednesday to help bring about change.
He said:
We can only do this by voting in a party with a proven track record in government and the networks and support systems necessary to formulate strong governments. Next Wednesday there will be at least four by-elections in each province, and the fate of 12 municipalities hangs by a thread. Now that the DA has renewed leadership that has brought stability, unity and a policy-based approach, I would like to call on voters across the country to vote for DA to bring clean, capable and efficient blue governments to South Africa.
He said that all South Africans have an obligation to play their part in the by-elections.
“If you make a no-plan and prepare ahead of time to get to the polls in your neighborhood on Wednesday, you’ll be ready to get involved and play your part at this crucial local democratic moment.
“I want to urge residents not to vote for independent candidates or smaller parties, as this will only fragment and divide municipal councils across the country and generate political instability that will paralyze services,” he said.
READ ALSO | ANC and DA troubles have leveled the playing field for new parties: analyst
Steenhuisen said that only the DA was “big and strong enough to overthrow the ANC-led governments.”
The IEC intends to remove the delay from all pending by-elections simultaneously on November 11.
This, after none have been held since March 2020, following the imposition of confinement restrictions. Since then, there have been 96 district vacancies in 56 municipalities, including two dissolved councils in the North Cape where candidates must also be elected. proportional representation (PR) (nine PR seats in Phokwane and three in Renosterberg).
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