The long awaited Municipal Elections have arrived
MIDRAND - The day all political parties have been waiting for has arrived. Long queues have dominated Midrand, marking the dawn of Local Government Elections.
The highly contested 3 August elections witnessed a change in politics with the Democratic Alliance (DA) giving the African National Congress (ANC) a run for its money as the main opposition, and has even managed to snatch the City of Tshwane from the ruling party. Whilst many changes were seen in other areas across the country with the shift if political power in wards, no changes were experienced in Johannesburg’s Ward 92 and 94.
Ward 92 once again went to ANC Councillor Leepile Motsumi, who is returning for a second term as councillor. Motsumi defeated DA’s councillor candidate Patricia Rasalingwana and other smaller party candidates.
The same was witnessed in Ward 94, with the DA clinching the victory, resulting in David Foley being the new ward councillor replacing his party member John Mendelsohn. The DA had been promising a drop in crime, corruption and an improvement in service delivery and youth employment throughout its campaigning.
Foley thanked voters for coming out in their numbers despite the cold weather on the day, and went on to bash the IEC for what he called delays in kick-starting the voting procedures in the ward. Foley said his key mission is to apply the rule of law and create a system of accountability and accuracy in water and electricity bills.
With the elections done and dusted, it’s now up to the councillors to ensure that promises are kept.
Leepile Motsummi could not be reached for comment.
