There was a mixed bag of emotions yesterday in ward 11 in Tembisa as early results showed theANC kept a healthy lead throughout the day with 65.48% votes, followed by the EFF at 20.23% and ActionSA at 5,35%.
This trend of strong support for the ANC was mirrored in ward 10 and 12 where ANC had 65,48% and 41,38% votes respectively. The party was also leading in other strategic areas like Katlehong, Vosloorus and KwaThema, which are stronghold for Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina.
While many people returned to work yesterday, Mfundo Cekete, who had been drinking beer with friends at DJ Shimza’s Hang Awt Spot in Endayeni section, said although ANC’s power remained shaky in Ekurhuleni he was happy that the party had proved its staying-in-power in Tembisa.
In the 2016 municipal elections, the ANC won 69% of the votes followed by EFF at 18,72% and DA at 5,56%.
“I’m happy for the ANC to be doing well in this ward and I hope that its candidate Oriel Thoabala would grab this opportunity and run with it by bringing services to us. We have been let down by previous councillors who gave us lip services, and perhaps this is an opportune time for ANC to redeem itself and be the party that we expect them to be. People still have options in the form of EFF and the ANC must take advantage of their possible victory in the area,” said Cekete.
Ncedo Khumalo, a street vendor in Umfuyaneni section, said he had left the EFF to rejoin the ANC following the VBS Bank looting scandal which implicated the party’s leaders and the deal the party made with the DA to run the Johannesburg municipality.
“I loved what the EFF stood for but the VBS issues threw me off and the marriage that it had with the DA was a major betrayal. I came back to the ANC because it's the ‘better devil that I know’. I’ve been unemployed for over 10 years and my neighbourhood is falling apart due to lack of service delivery. I hope the incoming councillor would focus on roads and the eradication of shacks in my area,” said Khumalo.
Tshepo Tsotetsi, an EFF follower, said the overall dismal showing of his party was because most people were only EFF on social media and not on the ballot paper.
“People show lots of love to the party when they log onto Twitter but choose to give their votes to other parties when it's crunch time,” said Tsotetsi of ward 12 in Pholomong.
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