The DA says it won ward 28 fairly.
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula. Picture: Gallo Images
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has cast doubt on the legitimacy of the by-election that saw the DA winning its first fully black ward in Emfuleni local municipality.
In May, the DA scooped ward 28 in Evaton, a township that has been an ANC stronghold for decades. Following the DA’s victory in the municipality, the ANC mayor Sipho Radebe was requested to resign by his party.
However, in a media briefing on Tuesday, Mbalula confirmed his party is challenging the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) on the results of this by-election.
“Where an election is not run on a lawful and reliable voters roll, the ANC will defend the vote of the people through the electoral courts in our challenge to the IEC over the by-election in ward 28 of Emfuleni in the Sedibeng district municipality, which was decided by a mere eight votes on a roll that could not be lawfully placed in that ward,” said Mbalula.
“Where have you seen 100 people from one house registered to vote?” he asked.
Mbalula said the ANC is not bitter about the defeat.
“This is not sour grapes, it’s a matter of the integrity of the roll on which the whole nation votes on the 4th of November, and we pursue this in exactly that spirit,” he said.
Mbalula also criticised the DA-run City of Cape Town for the negative report the city received from the public protector in relation to municipal service delivery failures in some townships.
City of Cape Town
He said the protector’s report is evidence the City of Cape Town has grown distant from poor communities in black and coloured areas.
“We are coming back to the people’s side ward by ward with humility and a plan to govern for everyone,” added Mbalula.
He said while the ANC has its own flaws, it has also made great strides in improving the lives of ordinary South Africans.
“To the people of South Africa, we say simply we have heard you, we are with you and we ask that you walk this road with us to this coming registration weekend, to the doorstep debate and to the ballot on 4 November,” he said.
DA responds to Mbalula’s claims
DA’s Emfuleni mayoral candidate Kingsol Chabalala told The Citizen on Wednesday the party’s victory was earned at the ballot box through the votes of residents.
“The ANC’s decision to challenge the result appears to be the reaction of a party struggling to accept the will of the people.
“Instead of trying to reverse the outcome in court, the ANC should reflect on why it lost the confidence of the people of ward 28,” said Chabalala.
Chabalala added that democracy requires all political parties to accept both victory and defeat with respect for the electoral process.
