Smaller parties remain optimistic
2011-05-19 17:38
Johannesburg - A number of smaller opposition parties, which ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe said were "being gobbled up", were still optimistic about their prospects on Thursday afternoon.
African Christian Democratic Party MMP Jo-Ann Downs said although it was too early to tell how they had fared in the local government elections, the trend seemed to indicate the party "gained what it lost in the last election".
Downs said they did very well in Limpopo, with one ward gained in Musina. The ACDP was second to the ANC in the province.
"We also did very well in Stanger (KwaZulu-Natal) and Swellendam (Western Cape).
"Whilst we are positive at the outcome so far, we are saddened at the way South Africa has been polarised… that was evident at the polling stations yesterday. Indians, whites and coloureds vote DA, while black people vote ANC," Downs said.
The party said even with a tight budget, it still increased campaigning around the country.
"This is a good thing, it gives something to base our future on."
The FF Plus' Pretoria leader, Philip Van Staden, said they were confident of doing well in the city.
"Although it's still early to say, we have gathered loads of results in Pretoria. We have also done well in Midvaal and Meyerton.”
The Pan Africanist Congress of Azania's (PAC) efforts were "beginning to bear fruit" its secretary general Mfanelo Sicwatsha said.
"Projections are that we are going to do better… We’ll do better this time as compared to 2010 [elections]."
They had done well so far in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo, Sicwatsha said.
Jana Warffemius, chief administrator of the United Democratic Movement, said they didn't have as "sophisticated" spreadsheets showing results as the ANC did.
There had been a delay in results on her computer, so it was difficult to say at the moment how they had done.
- SAPA
