Zille celebrates Tafelsig win
2006-06-08 08:34
Cape Town - The official opposition, Democratic
Alliance (DA), has won a key municipal by-election in Tafelsig, Mitchell's
Plain, with 68.31% of the vote - leaving Patricia de Lille's Independent
Democrats (ID) trailing with just 29.5%.
The DA polled 3 870 to the ID's 1 683. In the March general municipal
poll
the ID won the seat with 2 300 votes or 38.7%, with the DA just behind with
2 204 votes or 37.1%.
The ANC did not stand this time but received 809 votes
or
13.6% last time. The turnout this time was 40.6% - slightly less than the
43.1%
percentage poll in March.
ID congratulated DA
The by-election was the focus of Wednesday's 14 by-elections around the
country as it increases the majority of the DA-led multi-party coalition in
Cape Town to two seats in the 210 seat council - the only metropolitan
council
in South Africa controlled by opposition parties.
Added to the political drama was that the seat - representing a working
class coloured area with high unemployment - had been snatched by the ID
from
the DA in the March general municipal poll, one of just three ward seats
that
went to De Lille's party.
Her candidate at the time, Sheval Arendse,
resigned
the seat after the ID backed the African National Congress candidate
Nomaindia
Mfeketo for mayor.
DA mayor Helen Zille on Thursday night described the result as a
landslide
"more than expected", while party spokesperson Ryan Coetzee said it was the
"beginning of the end" for the ID.
He noted that the multi-party government
now
controlled a clear majority of 106 seats with the DA with 91 seats.
He also
noted that the DA had beaten the ID and African National Congress combined
because the ANC declined to put up a candidate.
"The message of Tafelsig is that opposition voters in Cape Town want a
clear alternative to the ANC. They don't want a party that tucks itself into
the ANC's slipstream.
"They don't want a party that tries to split the
difference between the ANC and the opposition. They want a clear
alternative,"
said Coetzee.
Meanwhile, ID Cape Town city council caucus leader Simon Grindrod said:
"As
a young political party, we have gained invaluable experience in contesting
this by-election. Our team has become stronger and more unified as a result.
"We
may have lost this battle, but we will win the war against poverty and
racism.
"The Independent Democrats will remain steadfast in its mission to open
our
people's minds to our vision of a South Africa where the divides that exist
now
have been properly bridged."
Grindrod said the ID congratulated the DA on the win. "It was a tough fight, one in which DA money and spin played a
massive
role. And in spite of the moral weakness of their candidate, the DA won."