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DA has early morning lead in Ward 14 by-election

The by-election in Ward 14, which includes the Gholfsig and Clubville suburbs, is in full swing since voting stations opened their doors to the public at 07:00 this morning.

Voting stations will close at 21:00 tonight, leaving no excuse for registered voters in the ward to draw an X next to the name of their preferred candidate.

Four parties are contesting the by-election in the traditional DA ward, where Alderman Jos Pretorius represented voters before his retirement earlier this year.
Alderman Pretorius served multiple terms in the ward, which the DA hopes will once again secure the party a seat with candidate Elsie Vermooten contesting.

Elsi Vermooten.

Ms Vermooten is no stranger to politics, having worked side by side with Alderman Pretorius as a party activist behind the scenes.
She was also elected as the Steve Tshwete Constituency Chairperson earlier this year.

Ms Vermooten is facing off against Mahmood Akhalwaya of the ANC, Ntombizodwa Mthobeni of the EFF and local pastor and attorney Tinus van der Merwe of the Middelburg and Hendrina Residents Front.

Mahmood Akhalwaya.

Voter turnout thus far has been satisfactory, with the IEC expecting a trickle of voters throughout the day.

Mr Kerneels Erasmus was the first voter who showed up for the poll.

Short on his heels were DA parliamentarian and Shadow Minister of Environmental Affairs, Ms Annerie Weber, and her parents, Dr Hennie Weber, a specialist in economics, and Dr Amari Weber, who majored in history.

Tinus van der Merwe.

The counting of votes is expected to be finalised tonight when counting kicks off after voting stations close at 21:00.

The DA comfortably won the ward during the last elections, with almost 70% of the vote.

The FF+ decided not to contest the ward, after receiving the second most votes during the previous municipal poll.

Ntombizodwa Mthombeni.

Official IEC results are, however, only expected later this week after Ward 14’s results, and the results of nine other by-elections have been verified.

Elections are also taking place in various areas of KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape, and Gauteng, where a much larger voter turnout is expected.

Registered voters of Ward 14 can vote at the Gholfsig NG Church and the banquet hall until 21:00.

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Sjani Campher

Sjani has been working as a community journalist and photographer at the Middelburg Observer since 2018, during which she has been responsible for the content creation for both digital and print, as well as maintaining the publication's online platforms. She is a member of the Forum for Community Journalists, and focuses on fields including hard news, investigative reporting, human interest, columns and sports.
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