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LGE 2021 | Parties remain optimistic as vote counting continues

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With one day to go before the expected announcement of the results for the 2021 local government elections, some political parties remain optimistic of gaining seats in municipalities as vote counting continues.

PAC confident of seats 

The Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) General-Secretary, Apa Pooe says they are treating these local government elections as a precursor to the 2024 national elections after experiencing internal leadership squabbles.

The PAC has failed to make a major impression in the 2021 local government elections.

However, Pooe says he is confident that they will win several seats in some municipalities.

“For us, these elections are a rebuilding block because we had so many challenges and we had to deal with that. Importantly is that we registered ten minutes before the closing time for registration, so we were unable to contest many municipalities. Currently, we are contesting around 100 municipalities and our projection is that we will have at least one seat in about 60 of them. So it is still too early to call, but I can confidently see from these results. at least we have improved to 1 percentage point. Remember we are moving from zero point something from the previous elections,” says Pooe.

“Too early to write us off” – COPE 

The Congress of the People (COPE) says it’s optimistic that it will perform decently in the local government elections, despite not making a showing on the national results leader board in the polls.

Electoral candidate for the City of Johannesburg, Colleen Makhubele says it is too early to write off the party. This is with nearly 60% of the voting districts counted party.

“They haven’t really counted where we have been strong as COPE and we have been putting all our efforts for campaigning like in Gauteng, Northern Cape, Free State and Limpopo. So those numbers are also coming. But also, when we look at the statistics, in 2019 by this time with about 40 to 45% counted, we were looking at 7 000 votes. Right now, it was 28 000 when I left the desk. I am sure we are more than that and it is just a ripple effect of the work we have been doing in our strong provinces – where we have been campaigning,” says Makhubele.

LGE 2021 | Political parties say they remain optimistic as vote counting continues

Elections were marred by glitches: UDM 

Meanwhile, with the United Democratic Movement (UDM) failing to make a major impression in the national tally of votes, the party’s Thandi Nontenja says the voting process was marred by a number of glitches, making it difficult for free and fair elections to take place.

Speaking to SABC News last month, UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said he was not worried about losing supporters or votes in the elections.

Holomisa believes that coalitions are the future and that no one party can successfully run a metro.

“Coalitions are here to stay. South Africans have shown that they are sick and tired of one-party dominance because one party dominance breeds corruption. we have seen it here in SA. So, if after the first of November, there will be no major outright winner. They are going to be forced to go and ask for assistance,” says Holomisa.

Holomisa, who has been president of the UDM since 1997, believes that voters can see through the ruling party and other contesting parties, as he explained the UDM’s stance on anti-corruption.

“So the onus is on the voters themselves. I am not worried about why people have not been responding as I move around, you can see that they are fed up. Because they know now why the kids are not getting jobs. Their money is being misused.”

-Report by Ntebo Mokobo & Busi Chimombe, additional reporting by Kim Daniels 

LGE 2021 | Unpacking the possibily of coalitions: 

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