• News
  • Sport
  • TV
  • Radio
  • Education
  • TV Licences
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • SOUTH AFRICA
  • POLITICS
  • BUSINESS
  • SPORT
  • AFRICA
  • WORLD
  • SCI-TECH
  • LIFESTYLE
  • FEATURES
  • OPINION
Home Opinion

Metsimaholo election results and SACP support

1 December 2017, 7:00 AM  |
SABC SABC |  @SABCNews
IEC Free State says all the objections have been dealt with.

IEC Free State says all the objections have been dealt with.

IEC Free State says all the objections have been dealt with.

On November 29 elections were held across all the wards in Metsimaholo local municipality. The election followed the dissolution of the local council after it failed to pass a municipal budget. In the 2016 Local Government Elections no single party obtain a majority of votes or control of the local council. At that stage the ANC emerged as the single largest party with 45% of votes cast. Despite being the largest party the ANC was not able to form a majority coalition. ‘Control’ and the council fell to a coalition of the Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters and the Metsimaholo Community Association (MCA).  Under the coalition the MCA candidate was appointed Executive Mayor.

However the MCA mayor proceeded to appoint only ANC members to the mayoral committee effectively breaking the coalition and giving ‘control’ to a MCA/ANC coalition. In essence the realignment resulted in a political stalemate with neither of the coalitions being able to wrest control of the council. With the resulting impasse the MCA/ANC coalition was unable to pass a budget. This, in turn, led to the dissolution of the council and the appointment of an administrator to run the municipality. The election of the 29th was meant to give the electorate a second chance to appoint a functioning council.

While several small parties that fared poorly in 2016 failed to contest the election the election heralded the entry of the SA Communist Party (SACP) into electoral politics. The SACP has been in a political alliance with the ANC and SACP for decades and has never contested elections outside the umbrella of that alliance.  Tensions within the ANC alliance have spurred the SACP to test its electoral support independently of the ANC. In Metsimaholo the SACP managed to secure slightly less than nine percent of votes cast. This leaves the SACP the fourth largest party in the municipality after, in order, the ANC, DA and EFF.

The biggest losers in the election were the ANC and the MCA. The ANC’s vote share dropped from 45 to 35 percent of votes cast. By contrast the vote shares of both the DA and EFF remained virtually unchanged. The DA share of votes dropped from 29% to 28%. The EFF, on the other hand, increased its vote share from 18% to 19%.

The biggest loser in the election is ultimately the MCA who’s 5% of votes in 2016 fell to less than 2%. This decline makes the MCA the seventh largest party in the municipality – smaller even than the FF Plus.

It would this seem that, with the exception of support for the MCA, the political affiliations of Metsimaholo voters has barely budged since the last election. If the votes of the traditional allies of the ANC and SACP are combined then their joint share remains virtually unchanged.

The dissolution of councils is followed by the holding of elections in the hope that a functioning council emerges. Metsimaholo indicates that changes in the political allegiance of voters may be very small but would, at least in this instance, have been sufficient to break the impasse even if the SACP not entered the contest.

Share article
Tags: IECSACPBi-election
Previous Post

Moeen a doubt for second Ashes test, says Root

Next Post

Cancer drug prompts “drastic” HIV decrease in lung cancer patient

Related Posts

A man walks beneath electricity pylons during frequent power outages from South African utility Eskom, caused by its ageing coal-fired plants, in Orlando, Soweto, South Africa, January 16, 2023.

The energy crisis affects the image of the ANC: analyst

31 January 2023, 11:52 AM
A person holds a sign during a protest following the release of videos showing Memphis police officers beating Tyre Nichols, who died while hospitalized three days later, in New York, January 28, 2023.

Tyre Nichols’ killing a fresh reminder of us police brutality

31 January 2023, 7:43 AM
President Cyril Ramaphosa speaks at an event.

Lights out for President Ramaphosa’s participation at WEF

24 January 2023, 11:14 AM
People perform a fire dragon dance under a shower of sparks from molten iron during the Chinese Lunar New Year holidays in Wuhan, Hubei province, China.

A glittering celebration as China welcomes New Year

19 January 2023, 1:58 PM
China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang and the African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson, Moussa Faki arrive for the inauguration of the new Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters, which China is building and equipping in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, January 11, 2023.

China’s infrastructure investment helps fast track development in Africa: Expert

12 January 2023, 4:22 PM
A worker in a protective suit walks near a plane of Air China airlines at Beijing Capital International Airport as coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks continue in Beijing, China January 6, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Peter     TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Science not politics should measure fight against COVID-19: China

7 January 2023, 12:45 PM
Next Post
Doctors said a 51-year-old man given nivolumab - sold as Opdivo by Bristol-Myers Squibb - sawa "drastic and persistent decrease" in the reservoirs of cells where HIV normally hides away and evades standard treatments.

Cancer drug prompts "drastic" HIV decrease in lung cancer patient

Most Viewed

  • 24hrs
  • Week
  • Month
  • Registration at Unisa closes on Friday, but management says no need to panic
  • Gas leak shut, isolated in Pretoria North
  • King of Bacardi music ‘Vusi Ma R5’ killed in Soshanguve
  • Committee wants to halt planned demolition of North West hospital
  • Bapedi kingdom commemorates Kgosi Mampuru II, still hoping to find his remains
  • Parts of the Northern Cape to be exempted from rolling blackouts
  • VIDEO | St Benedict College’s Matric learner gets 11 distinctions
  • Limpopo matriculant from child-headed household attains diploma pass
  • Female circumcision practice thriving in Eastern Cape
  • Registration at Unisa closes on Friday, but management says no need to panic
  • DA wins cadre deployment case against ANC
  • Zimbabwean embassy in SA to launch bid for the return of Zimbabwean Exemption Permit holders
  • Mashatile set to become MP
  • Helping Zimbabwean permit holders not a political ploy: Ambassador
  • Qunu families identify bodies following fatal shooting

LATEST

View of the Council Chambers for the Ekurhuleni Metro.
  • Politics

EFF takes over Speaker position in Ekurhuleni


A child walking while holding a candle during the rolling blackouts.
  • Eskom rolling blackouts
  • Business

Eskom reduces rolling blackouts to stage four


EFF leader Julius Malema addresses supporters outside East London Magistrates Court, February 2. 2023.
  • Politics

Malema won’t take recusal application dismissal on review


ANC members holding the party's flag.
  • Politics

ANC to appeal cadre deployment ruling


A gavel used by judges in court.
  • South Africa

Convicted rapist to be sentenced in Mthatha High Court


Tiger cubs in a zoo
  • South Africa

Calls to ban private keeping of big cats after tigers escape


Weather

  • About the SABC
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs
  • Advertise
  • Disclaimer
  • Site Map

SABC © 2023

No Result
View All Result
  • SOUTH AFRICA
  • POLITICS
  • BUSINESS
  • SPORT
  • AFRICA
  • WORLD
  • SCI-TECH
  • LIFESTYLE
  • FEATURES
  • OPINION

© 2022

Previous Moeen a doubt for second Ashes test, says Root
Next Cancer drug prompts “drastic” HIV decrease in lung cancer patient