DA, ANC both upbeat about results
2011-05-19 06:59
Johannesburg - The DA and ANC remained upbeat
about their chances on Thursday to grab strongholds from each other as a DA
twitter stream claimed new victories and an ANC spokesperson reiterated the
party's commitment to winning new areas.
"We are still optimistic that we will
led the way...that we will get the majority of votes in Midvaal, Nelson Mandela
Bay and Cape Town," spokesperson Keith Khoza told Sapa.
"[However] it is difficult to say how we
have done in the preliminary stages as the number of voting districts counted
is low," he said.
The SABC reported that the party won its
first ward at Thembelihle in the Northern Cape, with Annetjie Kywe receiving
almost 49% of the vote. The DA won 52% of the vote in the 2006 elections.
In the Eastern Cape, both parties were
neck-and-neck in the race for the Kou-Kamma municipality, part of the Cacadu
District Municipality, the broadcaster said.
The municipality, currently controlled by the
ANC, was narrowly being led by the DA with about half of the voting districts
declared and a turnout of about 34% so far. The DA had approximately a 50%
share of the ballot with the ANC close behind with a 49% share.
DA CEO Jonathan Moakes claimed on Twitter
that a ward in the municipality had officially been won saying: "1st ward
ever won by DA in Koukamma municipality in EC - Ward 2."
He also claimed that wards two, nine,
thirteen and fourteen in Midvaal were won by the party.
The ANC had recently vowed to do all it could
to win back Gauteng's top performing Midvaal municipality.
DA leader in Mpumalanga Anthony Benadie
tweeted: "DA wins several new wards, and takes at least 4 ANC stronghold
ward in Middelburg, Witbank, Belfast and Evander."
Other wins claimed by the party in the early
hours of Thursday included Sundays River in the Eastern Cape, ward 38 in Nelson
Mandela Bay and ward 72 in Ekurhuleni.
- SAPA
