ANC clean sweep ‘shatters Cope myth‘

Patrick Cull POLITICAL EDITOR

THE ANC swept to victory in all eight by-elections in Nelson Mandela Bay, saying afterwards that the “myth” that the Eastern Cape was a Congress of the People stronghold had been debunked.

Cope, however, was not in anyway dismayed by Wednesday‘s results.

Khusta Jack, a member of the interim leadership in the metro, said the results were “very encouraging, given that we had to start from nothing”.

The DA, which had hoped to win wards 53 and 38, counting on the probability that the ANC and Cope would split the vote, had to be satisfied with second place behind the governing party instead.

Spokesman Bobby Stevenson said yesterday the DA believed an opposition coalition in the metro could oust the ANC in the 2011 municipal polls.

The results, he said, “also illustrate that the Democratic Alliance, with its rock solid 25 per cent support base, would be the major party in such a coalition government”.

One significant aspect was the high turnout, with local electoral officer Graham Richards pointing out the percentage poll had topped 50% in most wards. That reflects the level of interest and points to huge turnouts on April 22.

ANC elections and campaigns chief Fikile Mbalula told a press briefing in Johannesburg the by-election wins in the Eastern Cape debunked the “myth” that the province is a Cope stronghold.

ANC spokesman Jessie Duarte said the Port Elizabeth results “put to rest” assertions that the governing party was losing ground in the Eastern Cape.

Commenting on the results that saw the ANC restrict Cope to below 30% in all eight wards, Eastern Cape spokesman Mcebisi Jonas said the ANC had been confident that it would “emerge victorious because of our assessment, notwithstanding the barrage of negative comments from the media and opposition parties, that we have not lost touch with the our mass base”.

“The ANC remains rooted in our communities and continues to be the most consistent representative of the aspirations of most South Africans. This holds true for all sectors of society ... We must however stress that it is the ANC and its programme, our track record as a champion of the interest of all sectors of society and, most of all, the participation of all our communities in ANC structures that secured us success.”

Jonas said the ANC wins should be read as a “clear protest against defectors and confirmation of the ANC and its programmes. It is ultimately a rejection of Cope by our communities and unwavering commitment to the ANC”.

Jack said the fact that Cope had averaged 20% of the vote was “very encouraging” after being in existence for little over two months. “Give us 12 months to campaign. This is what we have managed in two months.”

The party had entered the political arena for “the long haul” and the by-elections were a test of public opinion. The results were “good news for us” as Cope was fighting “a brand that has been in existence for 97 years”.

Cope would continue “to go all out” although the absence of structures on the ground and a lack of money were serious challenges. Overall, however, “we have good reason to celebrate”.