By ROD AMNER
By 2 pm Tuesday, the African National Congress (ANC) had 55% of the overall vote in Makana, with the MCF trailing on 20% and Democratic Alliance (DA) on 15%.
Writing for his @Political Bent Twitter account, former Grocott’s Mail editor Steven Lang predicts that the Makana Citizens Front (MCF) will not see any of its ward candidates elected to Council, “but could have three PR Councillors”.
However, in the two seats the ANC had won in Makana by 2 pm Tuesday, its majority had declined. In Ward 7, the ANC vote dropped from 86% in 2016 to 67% in 2021 and Ward 11 from 84% in 2016 to 69% in 2021.
Meanwhile, the DA has retained Ward 4, with 52% of the vote. The MCF captured 32% of the Ward 4 vote and the ANC 8%.
The overall vote in the Makana district by 2 pm Tuesday was:
- ANC 54.49%
- MCF 19.59%
- DA 15.43%
- EFF 6.35%
- AZAPO 0.94%
- PA 0.90%
- MIND 0.82%
In 2016, the overall final result was:
- ANC 61.84%
- DA 29.78%
- EFF 5.32%
- INDEPENDENT 1.9%
- AZAPO 0.74%
- UDM 0.41%
This indicates that most of the votes going to first-timers, the MCF, have been at the expense of the DA, not the ANC.
With 70% of votes counted in 2021, voter turnout stands at 11 644. It is projected to reach around 16 000, well under 40% of the 43 664 voters registered in the district.
Voter turnout in 2016 was 52.67%.
This represents a serious decline in voter participation in the local elections.
