DA believes it has Nelson Mandela Bay

DA Eastern Cape leader and mayoral candidate Athol Trollip believes his party will emerge the winner in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro.

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Port Elizabeth - As the election results trickle in, DA Eastern Cape leader and mayoral candidate Athol Trollip believes his party will emerge the winner in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro.

The DA was leading the pack with 56 percent. A total of 95 percent of the votes have been counted for the metro, but only 33 percent verified.

“The results are not final but it does look like the DA will be biggest party in metro,” said Trollip, adding that his party would move quickly to put together a government should it emerge victorious.

The DA was elated about winning the Kouga local municipality from the ruling party.

“It's great endorsement for democracy. We have won 17 seats out of 29. For the last 10 years there was one seat separating the DA from ANC. This frustrated us because of the ANC maladministration in the municipality,” the mayoral hopeful said.

Trollip said this showed that the power lay with the voters.

“This is very significant for democracy. Power lies with the people,” he told Independent Media at the regional results operating centre.

ANC representative Patricia Ndlovu said: “We are waiting patiently for the results. We have worked very hard in our election campaign. Asinavalo (We have no fear). We want to see the results now, we have been here since 7pm (on Wednesday). We want to leave the place knowing who is the outright winner.”

EFF regional deputy chairman Bo Madlala said: “We have won ward 43 in Uitenhage from the ANC. We are happy and delighted that people voted for us in that ward and across the metro. If you look at the thousands of people who voted for us, it's very humbling. It says go forward.”

Madwara said from the preliminary results coming in, “the ANC has lost the metro and we are very happy”.

luyolo.mkentane@inl.co.za

@luyolomkentane

Elections Bureau