By Akani Nkuna
DA federal leader and City of Cape Town mayoral candidate Geordin Hill-Lewis has projected that the party will secure more than 58% of the vote in Cape Town, citing early counting trends following Wednesday’s local government elections.
Addressing party members and supporters outside the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC) Western Cape Results Centre on Thursday, Hill-Lewis celebrated early indications of DA gains, including in areas traditionally considered African National Congress (ANC) strongholds.
The gathering took on a celebratory atmosphere as supporters welcomed the party’s early performance, despite counting still being under way.
“Based on our own collection of all the data, from all of the voting stations where you all worked into late last night into this morning, we can now project that our results in the City of Cape Town will be around 58% of the vote,” he said.
By early Thursday, with 22% of votes counted in Cape Town, IEC figures showed the DA leading with 59.58%, followed by the ANC on 11.97%.
In Stellenbosch, where 64% of votes had been counted, the DA was leading with 61.64%, while the ANC had secured 10.52%.
Hill-Lewis said the early results reflected growing support for the DA, particularly in communities where the party had historically struggled to attract voters.
He pointed to Ward 40 in Gugulethu, where the party received 200 votes, as evidence of growing support among black voters in Western Cape townships.
In Ward 98 in Khayelitsha, the DA received 1,200 votes, compared with 255 in the 2021 local government elections, according to Hill-Lewis.
“We have grown extraordinary among many, many Capetonians who have never once voted for the DA in their lives. We can be very, very proud of that. And to them, I say a very special thank you,” Hill-Lewis said.
The DA has previously faced accusations of prioritising service delivery in affluent communities while neglecting poorer black communities in municipalities under its control.
Addressing these allegations, Hill-Lewis reiterated the party’s commitment to serving all residents, saying the “DA will serve every person, community with pride, dignity, integrity and respect”.
He went on to declare that the DA had won Cape Town, prompting cheers and ululation from supporters gathered outside the results centre.
However, the IEC has yet to declare the final results, with vote counting continuing.
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