EThekwini by-election victory 'is a shift towards service delivery'

The DA in eThekwini has praised ward 64 residents for maturity by voting for service delivery rather than along traditional party loyalties.

In a highly contested by-election on Wednesday, the DA did not only retain the ward but also increased its majority from last year’s general election. Last year, the DA won by 480 votes, however, the Wednesday by-election results showed a massive improvement, with the party winning with 63%.

The party made a clean sweep, winning all the eight voting stations. Out of 5,082 votes counted, the DA won the ward with 3,197 (63%) followed by the Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) with 1,141 (22%). The ANC received 516 votes (10%), while the EFF received 73 (1%). Rise Mzansi, which contested the ward for the first time, got 139 votes ( 3%).

Speaking on Thursday morning, the DA’s new ward 64 councillor, Norman Gilbert praised the residents’ maturity saying they were no longer voting along party and racial lines and the party was humbled to win in the voting stations where the party did not have membership. He said that his party received sizable votes from informal settlement dwellers near Seaview, where it previously did not enjoy much support.

“This ward's residents may have voted for their traditional parties in last year’s general election, but this time they voted for service delivery and for the party they trust will deliver services. Local government elections matter more than national elections. Going to this by-election, we were concerned about three voting stations which is Phambili High School near the informal settlement, Montclair recreation hall and Montclair Primary School which has student accommodation,” said Gilbert.

 He said that the MKP, ANC and EFF were banking on students however, most of them either voted for him or did not vote at all. 

ANC regional task team spokesperson Thinta Cibane blamed the MKP for violence ahead of the by-election for people turning back without voting. The ward is one of the biggest in eThekwini with more than 20,000 registered voters, however, only 5,000 came to vote.

In response, the MKP eThekwini spokesperson Bonginkosi Dlamini dismissed the ANC's claims, accusing it of using his party as a scapegoat for failing to do well.

“The DA won the ward so why is the ANC blaming us? They are making excuses for losing to the DA, now they use us as a scapegoat,” said Dlamini.

The ward, which includes Montclair, parts of Clairwood, and Yellowwood Park south of Durban, was left with no leadership after the resignation of the DA councillor.

willem.phungula@inl.co.za