The Democratic Alliance (DA) in South Africa has announced four additional mayoral candidates in the Eastern Cape province, bringing their total to 10 ahead of the November 4 local government elections. This move is seen as an opportunity for the DA to capitalize on the African National Congress's (ANC) failure to register candidates in certain municipalities. The ANC's failure to file candidates in time has created a vacuum that the DA is eager to fill.
The DA's Eastern Cape leader, Andrew Whitfield, announced the new mayoral candidates, including Karen Smith for Sundays River Valley municipality, Matthee Nel for Walter Sisulu municipality, Mbongeni Kotana for Port St Johns municipality, and Star Mvuyane for Ingquza Hill municipality. These municipalities are all areas where the ANC failed to submit candidate lists before the August 28 deadline. As a result, the ANC will not be fielding candidates in these areas, creating an opening for the DA.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa's (IEC) online nomination system was disputed by the ANC, who claimed technical problems prevented them from completing their submissions on time. However, the IEC rejected this explanation, and the electoral court subsequently dismissed the ANC's challenge. This has left the ANC without proportional representation and ward candidates in Ingquza Hill, Port St Johns, Walter Sisulu, and Sundays River Valley.
According to Whitfield, the DA sees this development as an opportunity to expand its support in the affected municipalities. He noted that in Port St Johns and Ingquza Hill, historically ANC strongholds, the ANC's absence will allow residents to vote for a DA government. Whitfield expressed confidence that the DA has a strong foothold in Walter Sisulu and Sundays River Valley, where the ANC is unable to field proportional representation councillor candidates.
The DA's mayoral candidates in these municipalities will campaign on the party's manifesto, which focuses on tackling corruption, improving service delivery, fighting crime, and strengthening local economies to create jobs. Whitfield emphasized that the DA's solutions can become a reality if residents in these municipalities unite behind the party and elect a stable government.
The new mayoral candidates have expressed their commitment to addressing the challenges facing their respective municipalities. Matthee Nel, a councillor for 11 years in Walter Sisulu municipality, highlighted the need for reliable basic services delivery. Mbongeni Kotana, the candidate for Port St Johns municipality, pledged to restore financial discipline and end corruption. Karen Smith, the candidate for Sundays River Valley municipality, emphasized that residents are tired of empty promises and deserve service delivery.
The DA's announcement comes as parties intensify their campaigns ahead of the November 4 elections. The IEC has confirmed that 136,790 candidates have been certified to contest seats across the country. The DA's four new mayoral candidates join their previously announced candidates, including Retief Odendaal in Nelson Mandela Bay, Hattingh Bornman in Kouga, and others.
Key points
- The DA has named four more mayoral candidates in the Eastern Cape.
- The ANC failed to file candidates in certain municipalities due to technical issues with the IEC's online nomination system.
- The DA's mayoral candidates will campaign on tackling corruption, improving service delivery, and strengthening local economies.
