- The DA has scored a win in a crucial by-election in the Central Karoo town of Prince Albert.
- It is now the first Central Karoo municipality to be governed outright by the DA.
- The ANC didn't participate in the by-election but gave the DA "credit" for pulling out all the stops.
Service delivery and addressing crime in the small Central Karoo town of Prince Albert is high on the DA's priority list, as it gears up to take control of the local government.
The DA managed to secure an outright majority in the town during a hotly contested by-election that took place on Wednesday.
The latest development means the town now becomes the first Central Karoo municipality to be governed outright by the DA.
Venolea Fortuin, the DA east regional chairperson, said the party did not make promises it couldn't keep.
"We will build on what we have already started. We will appoint qualified, competent people in essential positions that need to be filled. I refer to our recently-appointed chief financial officer (CFO), managers responsible for revenue and supply chain management, a permanent fire officer and the filling of essential positions in the traffic department," she said.
Fortuin added that they had already started addressing problems in the administration that had not received attention for years.
"We have started on own-funded infrastructure projects that address the safety and dignity of our residents. These include the electrification of the informal settlement in Prince Albert. Addressing crime and safety throughout the Municipal area is another priority. Council will meet soon with the role-players in our communities to address this together," she said.
The DA said it competed against three parties after the ANC and the Patriotic Alliance threw their weight behind the Karoo Gemeenskap Party (KGP).
The DA won the ward with 50.6%, securing 1 053 votes against the KGP's 48.49% (1 009 votes).
The EFF only managed to receive 13 votes and the Africa Restoration Alliance (ARA) got 6 votes.
The DA's provincial leader Tertuis Simmers said the victory was a clear indication of the trust rural voters had in the DA.
"It marks a turning point, not only for the Prince Albert Municipality, but also for the rest of the Central Karoo," he said.
The crucial by-election in Ward 4 was contested by Edward Hattingh from the ARA, Magrietha Jaftha from the DA, Johnny Hendricks from the EFF, and the KGP's Goliath Lottering.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) said the ward, which was previously held by the KGP, had become vacant after the councillor's membership was terminated.
ANC spokesperson in the Central Karoo, Winde Plaatjies, said that although the ANC didn’t participate in the by-election they would have wished for a different result.
"We must give the DA credit. They had pulled out all the stops in trying to retain their base as it was a difficult task. We will start building from the ground up and will make sure that in the next election we will have a stronger footprint in the area," he said.