Patriotic Alliance (PA) has caused major upsets in two wards in Ekurhuleni when it toppled the ANC and the DA in what could see the two parties courting smaller ones in order to govern in the sought-after metro.
The big blow to the country’s top two political parties unfolded on Wednesday in ward 34 in Reiger Park and ward 57 in Alberton.
PA ended the DA's 10-year rule in ward 34 when it received 49.34% of the votes (1,599 votes) followed by the DA at 28.39% (920 votes), while the ANC limped with 9.72% (315 votes).
This result, which was completed by midday on Wednesday, is a huge difference compared to the 65.2% (9,869) that the DA received in 2016, which put the party’s councillor Charlie Robert Crawford in charge of the ward for the second term.
At the time, ANC scored 23.81%, while the PA received a measly 4,18% of the votes.
The disappointed Crawford linked the unfavourable result to him not being elected as the party’s candidate and to low turnout at the polls.
“In the 10 years I’ve been in charge of this ward I’ve always enjoyed between 55% and 56% of the votes and things changed this time when I was not nominated,” said Crawford.
Johan Pieters, a resident in the ward, said he voted for the PA because he had lost trust in the DA. “I could identify with the PA because it seems to be championing the coloured cause. We (coloureds) want to be recognised as equal citizens in this country and we no longer want to be seen as batting for any winning team between the DA and the ANC. The coloured vote is a key vote that the major parties have forgotten,” said Pieters.
In ward 57 in Eden Park, Alberton, the PA also left the ANC with a bloody nose when it snatched the ward with 44,82% votes (5,891) followed by the ruling party at 31,83% (4,183) and EFF with 10,21% (1,342).
In 2016, the ANC won the ward with 48,11% votes, while the PA took the third position with 10,56% (1,704).
Outgoing ANC ward councillor Nomshado Radebe's phone rang unanswered on Wednesday.
By late afternoon on Wednesday, the ANC was struggling to recapture Ekurhuleni firmly as it stood with 48,64% votes with DA at 34,15% and EFF lagging at 11.23%.
This poised the fight for the soul of the eastern Gauteng metro likely to end in a hung municipality like it did in 2016 when the ANC entered into multiple marriages in order to keep its power.
ANC's regional treasurer in Ekurhuleni Doctor Xhakaza said they were still analysing the elections.
“We did all possible means to win this elections, however, we will do a deep analysis from tomorrow (Thursday) in terms of how the electorate behaved and we will then take instructions from the top on how to proceed,” he said.
Crawford said it was clear that Ekurhuleni would not have an outright winner and that the ANC was likely to run to its previous partners in order to win.
“On the DA side, ActionSA is likely to be their best partners because both parties almost share the same values and principles and both want to see change and prioritise service delivery,” said Crawford.
Speaking at the IEC centre in Tshwane on Wednesday, DA leader John Steenhuisen said although the party was willing to go into a coalition with ActionSA, it would not be willing to elect Mashaba as mayor in any of the contested hung metros.
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