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Opposition satisfied with #MetsimaholoByElections results

───   OLEBOGENG MOTSE 12:14 Sat, 02 Dec 2017

Opposition satisfied with #MetsimaholoByElections results | News Article

Bloemfontein - Political parties EFF and DA are satisfied with the results of the Metsimaholo by-elections in the Free State, despite objections raised by the parties with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).


The ANC won 16 of the 21 contested councillor seats, while the DA won five. 

Of the Proportional Representation councillor seats, the DA won six, with the ANC winning none. 

DA Chairperson in the Free State, Patricia Kopane, says the party is encouraged by the support they received from the Metsimaholo communities, she says the party’s focus is firmly placed on 2019. 

Kopane says it is clear that the South African political climate is changing, because “the ANC can be brought under 50%”. 

The party is now looking to the 2019 elections.


The EFF in the province managed to win eight of the 21 Proportional Representation seats. 

Free State EFF Provincial Chairperson, Kgotso Morapela, says they are also satisfied with the outcome, because they have a solid base in Mestimaholo, but recognise that there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to grow that base. 

Despite this, Morapela says the party is not happy with the IEC after the party lodged complaints with the commission. 

Morapela says in one of the voting stations, a presiding officer was fired on the spot after it was discovered he or she was issuing more than one ballot to a single voter. It shows that this individual was either not properly trained or had his or her own agenda. 

Morapela says the IEC needs to make sure that all their recruits have credibility and will not taint the image of the IEC.

 

There was no outright winner, meaning the municipality will have to again consider a coalition government. This comes after the municipality was dissolved by the FS Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) in July.

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