Cape Town - The ANC in the Western Cape is gunning for hung municipalities and some of them form municipalities they had wanted to snatch from the DA.
The ANC said the hung municipalities in the province proved a decline within the DA.
ANC provincial spokesperson Sifiso Mtsweni said the party is hopeful, as the bigger townships are now being counted.
As it stands in the afternoon, the party has claimed 132 seats, which includes 89 seats and 43 PR wards.
The DA, however, remains far ahead – currently leading with 54.15% votes.
Video: Tarryn-Leigh Solomons/ IOL Politics
“The lower voter turnout has affected the PR vote. We have won many wards, including those in traditionally hostile areas.
“We are happy to have wrestled wards from the DA. Once things have been consolidated, we will sit down and see who best to work with, in order to ensure that we deliver services to the people,” Mtsweni said.
On coalitions, he said that the ANC is pro-poor and will consider working with organisations who have the interests of the less fortunate at heart.
“We want an environment where services go to everybody
“Of the 15 municipalities which the ANC has been vying for in the province, eight are hung. We do look set to, through coalition, govern some of them.
“It’s been a target that we set ourselves and we will be happy if we are able to secure 60% of our target,” he said.
Western Cape figures reflected a number of hung municipalities, including Beaufort West, Cape Agulhas, Cederberg, Kannaland, Knysna, Laingsburg, Langeberg, Oudtshoorn, Prince Albert, Saldanha Bay, Theewaterskloof, and Witzenberg.
Three municipalities continue to be led by the DA – Bergriver, Hessequa and Swartland.
The DA reclaimed the Overstrand Municipality with an outright majority of 17 seats, while the ANC claimed four. In Langeberg, the DA claimed eight seats, the ANC six, FF Plus one seat, and Good Party one seat.
The FF Plus and DA are apparently in coalition negotiations to govern Langeberg.
The ANC is leading in Oudtshoorn, as they claimed eight seats and the DA seven seats, while the DA is set to retain Swellendam.
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