Head of elections for the ANC, Fikile Mbalula at the IEC National Results Operational Centre in Tshwane, shortly after the results were released on Thursday night. Picture: Kailene Pillay/ Politics
Pretoria - Following a bruising beating at the polls by scoring under 50% of the voters’ support in the 2021 local government elections, the ANC have conceded they will take what they got.
Speaking to journalists shortly after the Electoral Commission’s Chairperson Glen Mashinini announced the final results, the ANC’s head of elections Fikile Mbalula conceded the party could have done better.
“We will take what we get,” he said.
Mbalula said the party faced a lot of challenges before and during the campaign, but that was no excuse, he said.
“We worked very hard but we could have done far better if we had more time,” he said.
Speaking on the DA’s showing, Mbalula said they were only claiming easy victories “because they too did not gain”.
He said the DA in the Western Cape lost support and have many hung municipalities in the province.
“They are running around like chickens seeking alliances. They did not win,” he said.
Mbalula said the person who gained in this election was ActionSA and its leader Herman Mashaba.
“As a new kid on the block, they did get the votes from us and from the DA,” Mashaba said.
ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe said the ANC was a “self respecting party”, but said the governing party could not ignore the notion of coalitions.
He referred to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s remarks during a keynote address at the results announcement saying that there was “a new way of doing things”.
“When you go into a coalition, it does not mean that you are now a lesser government, it only means that you have spoken to parties that share the same aspirations and ideals and have agreed to constitute a government who will be able to deliver services to our people.
“At the end of the day, political parties exist for one reason and that is to better the lives of our people,” Mabe said.
In the national overview of the outcome of the local government elections, in terms of the 213 municipalities contested, the ANC achieved a majority in 161 municipalities, the DA achieved a majority in 13 municipalities and the IFP achieved a majority in 10 municipalities.
kailene.pillay@inl.co.za
Political Bureau