Overwhelming support for DA ward councillors
Newly-elected Democratic Alliance (DA) councillors thanked Mitchell’s Plain for voting the blue political party back into council.
They received overwhelming support with nine DA ward councillors being voted in.
Three of the nine ward councillors are newbies – in Tafelsig, Norman Adonis for Ward 92; in Lentegeur, Ashton Plaatjies for Ward 76; and in Westridge, Ashley Potts for Ward 81. All three have worked in their communities either as ward committee members, serving in residents’ associations, on the community police forum (CPF) or a ward assistant.
New kids on the block, the Cape Coloured Congress (CCC) were runners-up in seven Mitchell’s Plain wards with percentages of 9.44% and more of the votes. They were followed by the Good political party, which took second place in Ward 43.
CCC campaign manager Nigel Williams, from Tafelsig, will take up a seat in full council next week as a proportional representative (PR) councillor. Along with Duwayne Jacobs, from Beacon Valley, CCC ward councillor candidate for Ward 116; party president Fadiel Adams, from Westridge; secretary general Sakeena Frenchman, from Portland; PR councillor candidate Nadia Satarien-Joseph, from Ocean View, provincial secretary Stacey Davids,from Atlantis and PR councillor Maryam Salie, from Macassar.
Mr Williams said the weather deterred voters but that they were grateful for being chosen to serve their communities.
He said they expected a much better CCC voter turn-out but as a new political party, with a fraction of the campaign costs, compared to other parties with their millions of rands, they still managed to have seats in council.
“More work has to be done and we need to reconnect with our constituents following the elections,” he said.
Mr Williams said with seats in council they would have a better perspective on how the City of Cape Town operates and how best to advise residents. “Our mandate priority is to serve,” he said.
Councillor for Ward 43, Elton Jansen received 9 539 votes, (52.42%), followed by the Good political party’s Mario Oostendurp, who received 2 611 votes, (14.35%); and Cliff Samuels, for the CCC garnering 1 678 votes, (9.22%).
Mr Jansen said being voted back in meant the community wanted the DA to govern and serve them.
As the outgoing Sub-council 23 chairman, Mr Jansen said he was humbled and honoured to serve Mitchell’s Plain again.
He said as chairman he had received complaints that municipal officials did not know how to speak to residents and he would ensure that Mitchell’s Plain citizen were treated with dignity and respect.
African National Congress (ANC) candidate Ikbal Salwary was a runner-up in Ward 76, with 2 216 votes, (15.28%), and CCC candidate Fuad Noordien followed up with 1 699 votes, (11.71%).
DA councillor Avron Plaatjies won the Ward with 6 397 votes, (44.1%). This was the only ward where the DA received less than 50% of the votes.
Danny Christians, councillor for Ward 79, said there should be a collective drive, which should include opposition parties, to take the indigent grant to the people of Mitchell’s Plain. He received 8 871 votes, (61.64%) of the votes; the runner-up was Eugene Marshall, the CCC candidate with 1 946 votes, (13.52%), and third was Saul Markgraff of the Good party with 1 117 votes, (7.76%).
Mr Christians said municipal arrears was a daily challenge and that if candidates could assist residents then they would have a voter “from day 1 and you will never lose that voter”.
He said it was rather sad that a mother could look after 10 children but they (the children) could not care for her.
Goawa Timm, councillor for Ward 78, said she would help anyone but that in most cases grandparents were indigent grant recipients, with their children and grandchildren living on the same property.
“They (the children and grandchildren) don’t chip in,” she said.
Ms Timm garnered 9 857 votes, (63.08%), in second place came Nawahlodien Panday for the CCC with 1 568 votes, (10.03%), and then came Good political party candidate Peter Hoffman with 1 241 votes, (7.94%).
• Ward 43: DA 52.42% Good 14.35% CCC 9.22%
Ward 75: DA 56.29% CCC 12.43% Good 10.2%
Ward 76: DA 44.10% ANC 15.28% CCC 11.71%
Ward 78: DA 63.08% CCC 10.03% Good 7.94%
Ward 79: DA 61.64% CCC 13.52% Good 7.76%
Ward 81: DA 63.25% CCC 13.39% Good 4.74%
Ward 82: DA 62.43% CCC 10.9% Good 8.39%
Ward 92: DA 60.73% CCC 9.44% Good 5.62%
Ward 116: DA 61.96% CCC 15.26% Good 5.06%