DA’s Mark van der Merwe takes commanding lead in Ward 115
Preliminary election numbers show a decisive margin in the northern Johannesburg ward as provisional counts from all five voting districts come in.
Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor Mark van der Merwe has taken a commanding lead in Ward 115, securing more than 66% of the ward ballot votes as provisional counts conclude in the 2026 Local Government Elections.
The latest available figures show Van der Merwe with 9 019 votes, representing 66.3% of the total valid ward ballot votes. His closest competitor, ActionSA, trails with 1 562 votes (11.5%), leaving a difference of 7 457 votes between the two candidates.
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The African National Congress sits in third place with 1 124 votes (8.3%), followed by the Economic Freedom Fighters with 451 votes (3.3%).
The results reflect a significant lead for Van der Merwe, whose campaign focused on addressing service delivery challenges and improving the basic services residents rely on.
As previously reported by Fourways Review, Van der Merwe has lived in the area for 67 years and identified water, electricity, roads and waste management among the biggest challenges facing the ward.
He also highlighted the need for greater accountability from City of Johannesburg officials and infrastructure upgrades to improve service delivery.
The ward covers several communities, including Maroeladal, Fourways, Bloubosrand, parts of Witkoppen and Douglasdale, Jukskei Park, Cedar Lakes, and Craigavon, among others.
The latest results show that all five voting districts in the ward have been counted, with the DA securing 66.3% of the ward ballot.
The party’s performance shows an increase from the 59.7% it received in the 2021 Local Government Elections, a rise of 6.6 percentage points. However, ward boundary changes mean the comparison should be treated with some caution.
While the figures place Van der Merwe firmly ahead, the results remain provisional until the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) makes its final declaration.
Editor’s note: All results reported at this stage remain preliminary, until ratified and published on the IEC’s results dashboard. For the most up-to-date results, visit the IEC results dashboard.
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