KNYSNA POLITICAL NEWS - After a month of campaigning for the Knysna municipal Ward 11 by-elections, the ANC took the ward from the DA, giving Lorraine Opperman another chance to represent the residents of the Hornlee ward in council.
She was sworn in on Monday 26 April at the Knysna Municipality Council Chambers.
Opperman, whose DA membership was terminated after she voted against the DA's motion to curtail the power of Mayor Elrick van Aswegen - which meant she lost her seat in Council - then stood for the ANC and increased the party's support in the ward from 29% in the 2019 by-elections to 48,5%.
Opperman's victory gives the ANC nine seats in the Knysna Council and keeps the current ANC, Cope and KUC coalition in power.
Out of the 1 340 votes counted in the ward, the ANC received 650 votes (48,5%), the DA received 458 votes (34,17%), the EFF got 160 votes (11,94%) and the ACDP received 62 votes (4,62%).
There were only ten spoiled votes.
ANC Knysna sub-regional secretary Moyisi Magasela said they are humbled by the confidence bestowed on them by residents of Ward 11.
"We heard and understood the challenges that were raised by the community during the campaign and we commit ourselves to address those challenges and speed up service delivery," he said.
ANC ward 11 victor Lorraine Opperman
Only two choices
DA Constituency Head Dion George said the by-election made it very evident that that there was a clear choice between two parties - the DA and the ANC. Besides the ACDP, who "isn't a player", and the EFF, "that is small and will remain small", no other smaller parties were involved. "So the dynamic on 27 October is going to be very different." He said the people of ward 11 picked the ANC this time round, but that the entire Knysna will be able to make their voices heard on 27 October.
George said this is a wake-up call for everybody in Knysna that the ANC can win the election on 27 of October.
"That is not in the interest of anybody. So people have a clear choice to make on 27 October, it's either they pick the DA or the ANC and that is the government they are going to get. Voting for any other party other than the DA will result in an ANC government. That was very clear from Wednesday," he said.
DA Constituency Head Dion George
Mixed comment
Knysna United and the Good Party joined in and congratulated Opperman on her victory.
Knysna United chair Ralph Stander said the ANC managed to get Cope, Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners (PBI), Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa (Icosa) and Khoisan to support them in the by-elections.
"Now it is payback time by performing. Knysna United will continue to work with Knysna Municipality Council led by and we will continue to hold the municipality accountable," he said.
Good Party convener in Knysna John Pienkies Williams said they had called on the commu-nity to open their eyes and rid themselves of the DA.
"We are happy that the community heeded the call.
The DA was punished and will never ever win Knysna again," he said.
Williams called on the ANC to serve the people of Knysna. "Hornlee has for long been the last to receive any services from the municipality - that can no longer be tolerated," he said.
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