UDM takes Ward 30 from ANC

Port Elizabeth – The United Democratic Movement has taken Ward 30 from the ANC in a by-election held in the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality.

“Credit must go to our young man there who grew up in the UDM,” party leader Bantu Holomisa told News24 on Thursday.

“The message to our ward councillor is, he must at all times be a mere conveyor belt and take all the needs of the people straight to the municipality, and then [give] feedback, keep the people informed… He must humble himself.”

The ward was contested by the African National Congress, the Democratic Alliance and the UDM.

Political changes

The ward became vacant when the previous ANC councillor died.

Earlier this year, the ANC elected SA Football Association president Danny Jordaan as mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay.

Holomisa thanked the people who voted for the UDM’s candidate Mandla Louis Faltein in Wednesday’s by-election.

He said this was a sign that things were changing politically.

“It’s a good sign but what we need to do now that we have a footprint there, is work wall-to-wall wards and make sure that for people to say they will only vote for the ANC in this country is not cast in stone.

“The people have choices to look elsewhere and I hope that the councillor will rise to the occasion,” Holomisa said.

Other by-election results

By-elections took place in four provinces on Wednesday.

Two by-elections were taking place in the Free State.

The ANC retained both wards in the province – Ward 14 of the Maluti a Phofung municipality (Qwa-Qwa) and Ward 8 of the Mantsopa municipality (Ladybrand).

Both wards became vacant when the previous ANC councillors died.

In Gauteng, Ward 55 in the Tshwane metro municipality was retained by the DA.

The DA and the ANC both retained their wards in the two by-elections held in Mpumalanga.

The ANC held onto Ward 3 in the Pixley Ka Seme municipality (Volksrust), which was uncontested.

The DA also retained Ward 17 in the Mbombela municipality (Nelspruit).

Genevieve Quintal, News24