The DA has retained control of the City of Cape Town despite a slight decline in voter support and a loss of council seats. The party garnered 56.42% of the votes, down from the 58.33% it registered five years ago, and now has 133 seats, a drop of three seats compared to the 2021 local government elections. The results released by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) show that the DA retained all its wards and added Ward 46, which was previously held by the Patriotic Alliance.
The voter turnout in the City stood at 54.79%, an increase from the 47.16% registered in 2021. The ANC shed almost 5% of its share of the votes as its support plummeted to 13.95% and the party lost a total of 10 seats, which appears to have been taken by the SACP and ActionSA. The ANC won 33 seats, with 32 of them being wards and only one proportional representation (PR) seat as its supporters stayed away from the polls.
The Patriotic Alliance came third with nine seats, an increase from the four it obtained five years ago. Smaller parties such as the EFF, Freedom Front Plus, GOOD Party, National Coloured Congress, ACDP, and Al-Jama-Ah saw their seats reduced or halved. New entrants in the local government elections, such as the MK Party, Build One South Africa, and Hopeful Leaders Democrats, bagged one seat each.
ActionSA and the SACP made significant gains in the elections. ActionSA won seven seats, which translated to 2.75% of the votes that came from the PR ballots cast. The SACP, which contested the elections for the first time, managed to secure two seats in the City. The biggest winner was ActionSA, which performed well in the PR ballots.
DA provincial leader Tertius Simmers said his party's 56% of the share of the vote was a resounding endorsement. He noted that the DA had won Ward 56 from the PA and grown its vote in townships such as Khayelitsha and Gugulethu. ANC spokesperson Sifiso Mtsweni said they have noted the election outcome and will hold a meeting to assess the results.
The SACP and ActionSA reacted positively to their performance in the elections. SACP provincial secretary Benson Ngqentsu said his party was pleased with how it performed at the polls in the City. ActionSA mayoral candidate Dereleen James said she was overwhelmed and grateful for the support shown to her party during the election race.
Political analyst Andre Duvenage said the election outcome was contrary to predictions that there would be a close contest if the DA was to obtain the absolute majority. He noted that the ANC's performance was not surprising, given the national trend of a huge drop in support for the party. The results reflect a shift in voter support in the City of Cape Town.
Key points
- The DA retained control of the City of Cape Town with 56.42% of the votes and 133 seats.
- The ANC lost 10 seats and saw its support plummet to 13.95%.
- ActionSA and the SACP made significant gains, winning 7 and 2 seats respectively.
