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PHOTO: Vathiswa Ruselo, Gallo Images / Sowetan
- A political analyst says the ANC is likely to emerge as the biggest winner in the 95 by-elections that are held across the country.
- The district attorney has asked voters not to let their wards fall into the hands of the ANC and “corruption.”
- Meanwhile, the ANC says its neighborhood councilor selection process has been designed to promote “people’s power in action.”
With nearly 100 contested districts across the country, it appears that the ANC has the easiest route to victory.
However, it will run into trouble in the country’s economic capital, Johannesburg, where, since the 2016 local government elections, the party has been unable to obtain an absolute majority.
Election analyst Wayne Sussman has told News24 that parties like the DA and the IFP will fight to win the ANC’s pavilions.
“When you look at the 19 contested districts in the Eastern Cape, it is clear that the ANC will win all of them. The IFP could easily lose some of the districts it has previously ruled. For the DA, cities like George, Saldanha Bay and Knysna in The Western Cape could be difficult. Smaller parties have been campaigning massively and we know the governance situation in Knysna was not the best, “he said.
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Sussman said newly elected DA leader John Steenhuisen will need more time to make an impact at the local level, while ANC faction problems could hurt the party at the polls.
A total of 95 districts will be contested, the largest number of municipal elections ever held in a single day.
Sussman said the EFF was expected to eat away at the ANC’s traditional voter base, while the DA could lose votes to parties like GOOD and Freedom Front Plus.
“In a metro like Johannesburg, the ANC would like to have firm control. The EFF is also ready to take some votes away from the ANC. The ANC, however, will want to retain votes to show that it is still the first choice for voters,” he said .
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ANC spokesman Pule Mabe, in a statement, said the party viewed local government as a gateway to democracy.
Mabe also said the party’s neighborhood councilor selection process was designed to promote people’s power in action.
“The ANC calls on all its members and supporters, as well as all who qualify, to exercise their democratic right by electing local councilors who will better promote the provision of basic services in local communities. We call on to all South Africans who will be participating in these by-elections in different parts of the country to comply with health protocols and maintain social distancing in the different polling stations where voting takes place, “he said.
DA federal chairman Ivan Meyer called on voters not to let his pupils fall into the hands of the ANC and “corruption.”
“Our country is deeply hurt, especially as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and now is the time to start recovering. The DA is the only party that is big enough and has a proven track record of providing good and clean … We ask you to participate in this historic democratic moment in our country and go to the nearest polls and help us win districts throughout the country, “he said.
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