DA comfortably retains majority in Western Cape

Close to 20 political parties and independent candidates in the Western Cape are challenging results in the province where a near complete count shows the Democratic Alliance comfortably retaining its majority, senior electoral officials confirmed on Saturday.

The objection in terms of section 55 of the Electoral Act was raised collectively late on Friday and refers to incongruities in vote processing in several districts in the province. One observer likened it to “a class action suit”.

The DA on Friday evening surpassed the 2-million mark of votes nationally, half of which it owed to its support base in the Western Cape.

DA premier Alain Winde declared victory after the party passed the million-vote mark in the province. His speech at the Electoral Commission of SA’s provincial result centre in Cape Town was disrupted by members of the Economic Freedom Fighters, Patriotic Alliance and other parties shouting “recount”.

With around 98% of the vote counted, the DA’s result stood at around 55.3% of the vote, only marginally down from 55.45% in 2019.

In the run-up to Wednesday’s elections, its majority seemed under possible threat from the populist PA, which has found a firm foothold in districts in the Cape platteland. But though Gayton McKenzie’s party surged to close to 8% — well past the EFF — it did not manage a major breakthrough on the Cape Flats.

Western Cape voters did not spare the ANC, which is preparing for coalition talks after the humiliating loss of its national majority. It polled 19.5% in the province, compared to 28.6% five years ago.

The EFF still surpassed its 4% of 2019 and stood at 5.2% on Saturday morning. 

The GOOD Party lost roughly half the 3.01% it won five years ago, and former president Jacob Zuma’s new uMkhonto weSizwe party took just 0.55% in the province. Al Jama-ah polled around 1.3%, a slight improvement from 2019.

It is the fourth time in a row the DA has won an outright majority in the province.

The IEC expected its result consolidation in the Western Cape would be complete around noon on Saturday.

It planned to announce the final national result at 6pm on Sunday after processing all objections received nationwide.