ANC wins; no clear majority in Council
2006-03-09
THE African National Congress (ANC) won the election in Drakenstein, drawing 42,06% of the votes of the nearly 50 000 voters who went to the polls for the municipal election last Wednesday.
This does not, however, give the 26 ANC councillors an absolute majority in Council (requiring 31 of the 61 seats).
The DA with 32,21% will have 20 councillors, the Independent Democrats with 16,11% will have ten councillors and the Western Cape Community (WCC) with 3,15% will have two seats, while the ACDP (2,33%), the Vryheidsfront Plus (1,5%) and the Federation of Democrats (0,74%) each have one.
Drakenstein’s “hung” council will mean that no party will be able to form a mayoral committee on its own.
The balance of power lies with the ID, whose party leader Patricia de Lille is adamant that they will not form a coalition with any other party.
This will probably mean that a proportional executive committee will have to be formed next week, splitting the positions and power between the top parties in Drakenstein.
A total of 49,5% of voters turned out for the election - less than in 2000 when 55% of voters visited the voting stations.
During the previous election the DA (then in coalition with the NNP) gained most of the 58 seats by a small margin (27 seats to the ANC’s 25).
At that time the DA appointed a proportional executive committee, giving.Then came the floor crossings and suddenly the DA found itself on the losing end. No one is prepared to discuss the possibility of this happening again in September 2007.
The ANC’s proportional councillors are Charmaine Manuel, Arthob Petersen, Nomthandazo Stemela, Sikumbuzo Mgajo, Magda Syfers, JT Basson and Bongiwe Fikizolo.
ANC ward councillors: Collin van der Westhuizen (1), Billy Adams (3), Nkosinathi Tyesi (5), Lungile Magala (6), Mpelese Tshaya (8), Boniswa Sishuba (9), Caudillo du Plessis (10), Kapa Xhaso (12), Johanna Muller (13), Cynthia Philander (14), Victor Mbubu (16), Abe Bekeer (20), Spasie Kika (21), Thomas du Plessis (22), Van der Berg Pienaar (26), Sienah Saaiman (27), Frans Koopman (28), Dan Kotze (30) and Johannes Thomas (31).
The DA proportional councillors are Clara Meyer, James Solomon, Deetlefs du Toit, Lutisia Daries, Rean Smuts, Johannes Smit, Sammy Andrews, Johan Visser, Sarah Douw, Koos le Roux and Geoffrey Ford.
The DA ward councillors are Johan von Wielligh (2), Rassie van Zyl (4), Koos Louw (15), Jean Smit (17), Albertus Buckle (18), Ben de Goede (19), Marna van Eeden (23), Soudah Ross (24) and Rina Smith (29).
The ID won three wards with candidates Claud Julies (7), Bazil Vos (11) and Marthinus le Hoe (25). Their proportional councillors are Jacquline Noland, Solomon Ross, Thulani Kompela, Matthys Nothnagel, Harisha Douman, Joseph Appollis and William Petersen.
The WCC won no wards, but has two proportional councillors: Dawn Jacobs and Philmon Maxam. Ronald Brand will represent the Vryheidsfront Plus, Joseph Matthee the ACDP and Esther Kearns the FD.
The ANC councillors who did not make it, are Appollis Solomon, Anna Langeveldt, Harlan Cloete, Deon Swart, Ndodomzi Mkabile, John Hendricks, Titus Williams and Vincent Naidoo. Carel Heyns and Miriam Adriaanse (ID), as well as Bonile Alfred Gcuze (UDM), André van der Spuy de Villiers (Independent) and André de Villiers (ACDP) were not re-elected.
Councillors who retired without standing for re-election in Drakenstein are Herman Bailey, Anthea Sheldon, Craig Sheldon, Kilion Cekiso, Matty Paulse, Dene Coetzee, Lucy Ninzi, Bernardo Maralack, Chris Leander and John Maralack (of the ANC), Bokkie Claasen (NNP), Marion Julius (DA) and Danie Kotze (DA).
Pieter Kana (ANC), who was not nominated, died on the day before the election due to ill health.
The two independent candidates who took part in the election, Vuyiswa Moko and André vd Spuy de Villiers, both lost the fight.
None of the councillors who had previously crossed the floor, were re-elected in their wards.
The ANC support remained at 42% of the electorate, while the DA support dropped from 51% (in alliance with the NNP) to the current 32%, with the ID picking up most of the difference.
IN the District Council, the ANC won 7 of the 16 seats (Clarence Johnson, Doreen Hani, Edmund Pheko, Dirk Oosthuizen, Elizabeth Bushwana, Zinzo Mtini and Chrissie Brink).
The DA took 6 seats (Dr Norman Kahlberg, Cornelius de Bruyn, Hendrik Jansen, Helmar Geyer, Jan Abrahams) and Hendrik Smit (representing the district management area outside Ceres).
The other seats go to the ID (Conwal du Plessis and Arrie Krotz) and the ACDP (Lillian Jantjies).
Another 20 councillors will be appointed to represent the different municipal councils, of which seven must be nominated by Drakenstein.
Retiring district councillors include Kobus Victor and John van Eeden.
* In the Franschhoek/Groot Drakenstein area, all wards of the Stellenbosch town council were won by the ANC (Gordon Pheiffer, James Morgan, Lewis Conradie and Eva Williams).
More
News
|
