hELEN Zille DA BY-ELECTIONS

10-03-2020 NETWERK24 WOORDFEES – RAPPORT REGSTREEKS GESPREK MET HELEN ZILLE – Rapport Redakteur, Waldimar Pelser, gesels tydens ‘n Rapport Regstreeks gesprek met die Demokratiese Alliansie se Federale Leier, Helen Zille, tydens die Woordfees in Stellenbosch. Die gesprek was gehou in die Kruiskerk in Stellenbosch. foto: Jaco Marais

‘The ANC did worse than the DA’: Helen Zille defends by-election results

Helen Zille has looked at last week’s by-election results from a different angle, claiming that the DA actually ‘out-performed’ the ANC.

hELEN Zille DA BY-ELECTIONS

10-03-2020 NETWERK24 WOORDFEES – RAPPORT REGSTREEKS GESPREK MET HELEN ZILLE – Rapport Redakteur, Waldimar Pelser, gesels tydens ‘n Rapport Regstreeks gesprek met die Demokratiese Alliansie se Federale Leier, Helen Zille, tydens die Woordfees in Stellenbosch. Die gesprek was gehou in die Kruiskerk in Stellenbosch. foto: Jaco Marais

The DA’s Federal Chair Helen Zille has attempted to explain the party’s dubious performance in the recent round of by-elections held in South Africa. Last week, 95 wards were up for grabs – and the official opposition ended up with a net average of seven lost seats. Surely, this was a win for the ANC?

Helen Zille claims the DA ‘outdid the ANC’ in by-elections

Apparently not. Despite the ruling party ending up four seats better off overall – taking control of five former DA wards in the process – Helen Zille has argued that the ANC were actually the biggest losers on the day. According to the politician:

  • In all the 44 by-elections where the DA, the ANC, and the EFF fielded candidates, the ANC lost 7.8 percentage points in support since the last national election.
  • In comparison, the DA lost 0.8% and the EFF grew very slightly by 0.3%.
  • Zille says DA support ‘grew among both black and white voters’ – but wards with a majority of ‘coloured’ citizens rejected the party.
  • The votes the DA lost, it is claimed, went to ‘small ethnic parties’ rather than the ANC.

Where did the DA go wrong?

Both the EFF and Freedom Front Plus made significant gains last week, and the DA lost significant wards to Al Jama’ah, Patriotic Alliance and GOOD. In fact, it is the latter party – and their leader Patricia de Lille – that has proven to be the biggest thorn in Zille’s side. She concedes that the DA’s treatment of ‘Auntie Pat’ cost them votes in the Western Cape.

“The greatest warning sign, overall, was the percentage drop in coloured support in the “rural” Western Cape wards we contested, specifically in George and Saldanha.  This, I believe, is in large measure the result of the DA’s extremely clumsy and, frankly incomprehensible treatment of Patricia de Lille, as the party sought to expel her in 2018.”

“Added to this were local factors in the wards that resulted in the expulsion or resignation of DA councillors, giving rise to the vacancies and necessitated by-elections. We faced the backlash from local communities.  GOOD saw the opportunity and was there waiting to establish a beach-head in the Southern Cape.  That’s how local politics works.”

Helen Zille