DA leader in the metro, Ald Tania Campbell, says the victory is a clear indication that the residents of Benoni have faith in the official opposition to deliver services.
She has expressed confidence in the new councillors that will be responsible for the wards, saying they will deliver services to the communities.
However, the governing party secured most votes nationally, winning 71% of the 24 wards contested.
The party described the results as a positive building block towards a decisive win in the 2021 local government elections. The polls will be held in the second half of 2021.
It lost only one ward, while the DA retained 6 wards and lost two. It didn’t win any new ward.
Results of 9 Dec 2020 #byelections by party: •ANC: retained 12 wards, lost 1, won 5 new wards •DA: retained 6 wards, lost 2 •Land Party: won 1 new ward •Better Residents Assoc: lost 3 wards Average ward turnout was 34.56%.https://t.co/aav6nozzoL for ward results
Benoni @Our_DA ward councillor quits the DA and joins @ForGoodZA. One of many councillors who are ready to leave the old parties, and all their baggage, for a new direction for SA. National Chair @Rankune and National Organiser @ShaunAugust1 welcome Jacques Meiring this morning https://t.co/Du0S8WBOz2
While one resident told the public broadcaster that he didn’t see the need to vote, others have said they believe their vote will make a difference.
No disruptions nor glitches were reported in the wards that were taking part in the polls. Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission, Glen Mashinini, visited four voting stations in the metro.
IEC Chairperson Glen Mashinini visited voting stations in W27 & W28 Ekurhuleni where by-elections are taking place today. He visited voting stations at the Gauteng Eastern Tennis Assoc, East Rand Speedboat Club, John Barrable Hall, & St Andrews Community Church. pic.twitter.com/ZguJ1zqNy1
By-elections in Soweto, Johannesburg, got off to a rocky start.
Jozi FM is reporting that community members in Naledi locked the gates of two voting stations, prohibiting voters from entering the area to cast their ballot.
The community is upset about the lack of electricity, which they say has been off for six months now due to a transformer that has exploded.
They say although they reported the matter to authorities, nothing was done to repair it.
The residents have blocked roads with rocks and burning tyres.
An ANC councillor in the City of Johannesburg Matshidiso Mfikwe has slammed the residents for blocking others from voting.
She says the residents are committing crime.
But residents aren’t budging. They say: “We just need a box and we just go to a ballot box and cast our vote. We want to vote but not in a dark area.”
By-elections are taking place in 95 wards across 55 municipalities in all the country’s nine provinces on Wednesday.
Of the 95, 14 are in Gauteng across six municipalities.
The by-elections are being contested by 40 political parties, with a total of 444 candidates certified as contestants. It includes 19 independent candidates.
The polls were supposed to be held between March and September but the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) postponed them due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The elderly and people with disabilities cast their ballots yesterday.
By-elections will be taking place in 95 wards across 55 municipalities in all South Africa’s nine provinces on Wednesday. Of the 95, 14 are in Gauteng, across six municipalities.
The by-elections are being contested by 40 political parties, with a total of 444 candidates certified as contestants. It includes 19 independent candidates.
The polls were supposed to be held between March and September but the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) postponed them due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The commission says it took a decision to go ahead with the by-elections based on the current infection rate.
Cases in the country have gone down from about 14 000 daily infections in July to 1 247 recorded on Monday.
The electoral body says voting will be conducted under strict COVID-19 regulations.
The by-elections kicked off on Tuesday with special votes. The special votes cater to the elderly, pregnant women, disabled persons, national commitment, and those who are in quarantine. The IEC officials will visit them at their homes, while it advises those who can go to the voting stations to do so.
Now the big question will be, why do we have by-elections? The answer is quite simple, a by-election is to fill a vacant position when the one who was occupying it has resigned or has died.
Ward 9, and 120 residents in Lenasia are among South Africans who will be casting their ballot in the elections.
In Ward 9, the following voting stations will be operational:
• Lenasia Civic CentrePark Primary
Park Primary
Nirvana Secondary
Pentarosa Primary
Protea Recreation Centre
Nirvana Old Age Home
Here is where one can cast one’s vote in Ward 120:
Southview High School
Kiasha Park Primary School
Sierra Nevada Primary School
Madiba Primary School
Lancaster Primary School
God’s Plan Church
Qalabotjha Secondary School
Touch Life Ministries
New Generation Combined School
Voters are reminded to:
• Only vote at the voting station where they are registered
• To bring their green barcoded ID document or smartcard ID
• To wear a mask and observer social distancing at all times
• And to bring their own pen if they wish, to avoid using the ones provided
COVID-19 protocols:
• Strict social distancing practices both outside and inside voting stations
• The mandatory wearing of masks over the nose and mouth of all persons within the boundaries of the voting station
• The application of hand sanitisers to all persons entering and exiting the voting station
• The replacement of the traditional indelible ink marker pens with an indelible ink liquid will be applied from a bottle to the thumb of voters using cotton buds which will be disposed of after each use. Of the candidates, 305 (69%) are male and 139 (31%) are female. Reporty by Cannedy Netshitungulu from Rising Sun Lenasia
