GEORGE NEWS - Two new ANC ward councillors will be inaugurated at the next George Council Meeting later this month. Jacques Esau, ward councillor for Ward 25 and Cokiswa Lesele, councillor for Ward 11, were both elected in the by-elections last week Wednesday.
The ANC retained Ward 25 (Uniondale), and defeated the DA in Ward 11 (a vast area that includes a part of Thembalethu, Pine Lodge, Gateway Lodge and Rondevlei). The DA still has an outright majority in the George Council.
The net result of the by-elections is that the ANC increases its representation in council by one, bringing them to a total of 17 councillors. The DA loses one councillor, which means they now have 28 councillors in George. In Ward 25 the ANC managed to obtain 53,94% of the votes.
The DA took 45,79% and the EFF 0,28%. This ward was won by the ANC during the local government election in August last year. In Ward 11 the ANC won with 48,14%, followed by the DA with 44,65%.
The EFF obtained 5,37%, the AIC 1,55% and the independent candidate 0,28%.
An elated ANC Western Cape Provincial Secretary, Faiez Jacobs, said the party's double victory in the by-elections was hard won and well deserved.
"They did not come easy, but the results show what unity, commitment and hard work can deliver. It is indeed a moment worth celebrating," he said.
Ward councillors' priorities
Uniondale councillor, Jacques Esau, wants to focus on youth development, the backlog in low-cost housing and, in his words, the lack of middle-class housing in the Little Karoo town. "Unemployment is also a historic problem, and I want to make it my mission to assist school dropouts to get back in the system. I don't want to see matrics just lying around at home. We have to help these kids to further their education. Tik is taking over our town," he said.
Cokiswa Lesele, councillor for Ward 11, says she will be working with the community to find ways to reduce crime.
"I also want to improve security by working with the police. I want to meet the basic needs of the community such as water and electricity and better their living conditions."
Lesele is very worried about the high crime rate in Zone 5, Thembalethu, which forms part of Ward 11. "I want to work with the community to combat the drugs and substance abuse, especially under the youth. Crime is high because of drug use," she said.
DA Chairperson for the Eastern Region, Jaco Londt: "This was an election we lost on differential voter turnout; in fact, we grew our percentage support in Thembalethu, which we are pleased about. We want to thank all the voters who came out to vote, we respect the result and congratulate the victorious party. Thankfully the DA still holds an outright majority in the George Council. We must learn from the by-election and take service delivery under the new leadership to the next level in George."
Convenor of the EFF for the Southern Cape, Mbulelo Magwala: "Every election should be taken on its own merit. This was the first time we participated in a by-election in the Western Cape. It's very different from the local government election.
The ANC and DA figures are declining and the EFF is the only party showing some growth. We definitely did well under the circumstances," he said. "It's a learning curve. We now see that politics and finances go hand in hand. We are working from a zero budget. We will be a party to be reckoned with in the 2019 elections. The EFF is a revolutionary movement, and revolutions take time."
Click here for previous articles:
- ANC says victory is hard won
- ANC comes out tops in by-election
- By-elections a display of colour
- Ramaphosa touches down in George
- De Lille remains loyal to DA
- ANC & DA learders visit before by-elections
ARTICLE & PHOTO: MICHELLE PIENAAR, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST
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