–Silver Sibiya
With about 270 councillors already sworn in at the City of Johannesburg, the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Federal Council Chairperson, Helen Zille, admits this has been unpredictable in local government elections.
She spoke to Newsnote during the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality elections in Brixton in Johannesburg.
Shortly after this conversation the DA’s Tania Campbell was elected Ekurhuleni Metro mayor, beating the ANC’s Mzwandile Masina by 116 votes to 105.
The DA’s Vasco da Gama was elected new Johannesburg Speaker, beating the ANC’s Eunice Mgcina.
Voting for Johannesburg Executive Mayor was underway at the time of publishing.
Zille said the election results have forced political parties to go into coalitions, something that caused a lot of unpredictability across the country.
“Things are looking very unpredictable around the whole of South Africa, with very unexpected results coming through in many places. So really I don’t know [how the results will come out],” Zille said.
“I’ve never been to an election that is so unpredictable and so open to so many unexpected influences. She said they have confidence in their mayoral candidate, Mpho Phalatse and will vote for to be elected.
“The DA is putting its candidates. Our councillors will vote for its candidates, I can’t speak for any other party or any other caucus,” Zille said.
Patriotic Alliance leader, Gayton Mackenzie, said his party will be voting with the ANC and claims the DA can’t afford to put ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba as Johannesburg mayor as that would be suicidal.
“People are expecting the DA to make Mashaba the mayor, that would be political suicide. Mashaba is a hard worker no matter what you say about him and if you put him as mayor here, he will kill the DA. It will not exist after five years,” he claimed.
