By ROD AMNER **This is a developing story. Grocott’s Mail will update this article as more information becomes available.** The Makana Citizens Front (MCF) has objected to what they believe to be a procedural irregularity in the consultation process to construct a new shopping complex in Joza. In a letter to Makana Municipal Manager Moppo Mene, the MCF’s interim convenor, Lungile Mxube, said the public briefing around the construction of the shopping complex was held on Thursday, 4 November, just two working days after it was advertised on Friday 29 October. The typical notice standard for tenders is 14 days.…
Author: Rod Amner
By ROD AMNER A record number of candidates contested the 2021 Makana elections, including a host of feisty independent candidates. One of them, Vuyani Nesi, convinced 40% of the Alicedale community to vote for him. He is Ward 14’s new councillor, unseating the African National Congress (ANC) from a ward they won with 68% of the vote in 2016. You can read his extraordinarily detailed manifesto below this article. An independent candidate in Ward 12, Phetole Marius Rasekele, came a close second to sitting ANC candidate, Mzobanzi Nkwentsha. And Makana Independent New Deal (MIND) candidates ran in several wards with…
By ROD AMNER The ANC’s share of representatives on the Sarah Baartman District council has shrunk by one seat as its share of the vote dipped below 50% for the first time. The DA has retained five seats, despite losing some ground to smaller parties. The EFF will be represented on the Council for the first time after securing a single seat in exchange for 6.34% of the vote. District council: 2021 Party Representatives Vote % ANC 6 49.77 DA 5 37.88 EFF 1 6.34 VF PLUS 0 2.14% GOOD 0 0.99 CSA 0 0.97 ATM 0 0.44 SDM 0…
By ROD AMNER After receiving just over 50% of the popular vote, the African National Congress (ANC) will retain control of the Makana Council – but with less furniture than before. The ANC has secured 14 seats (11 wards and three proportional representation councillors), compared with the 17 seats they held after the elections in 2016. They controlled 20 seats in 2011, 2006 and 2000. Newbies, the Makana Citizens Front (MCF) will occupy five PR seats, the same number as the ANC’s long-standing opposition, the Democratic Alliance (DA), who retained two wards and won three PR seats. Independent candidate Luvyo…
By ROD AMNER In a shock victory, Independent candidate Vuyani Nesi has captured Ward 14 after receiving 40% of the ward votes. He secured 721 votes at the Alicedale voting station alone. The ANC won 49,54% of the proportional representation votes. Independent candidates are not eligible for PR votes. This may explain the high number of spoilt ballots in Ward 14. Over 20% of PR ballots and almost a quarter of District Council ballots were spoilt. It seems that many voters were primarily interested in getting their independent ward candidate into office – and were not keen to vote for…
By ROD AMNER The African National Congress (ANC) comfortably held Ward 13 with 58% of the vote. The Democratic Alliance (DA) held onto just 8.63% of the vote after haemorrhaging support to the Makana Citizens Front (MCF), which landed 21.6%. Voter turnout was 48.5% compared with almost 60% in 2016. Ward 13 Party 2016 % support Change % 2021 % support ANC 63.88 -9.2 57.98 MCF Did not stand 21.6 DA 24.95 -65.41 8.63 EFF 10.29 -29.45 7.26 ANC 57.98% MCF 21.6% Rev Milo Geelbooi, MCF DA 8.63% Brian Peter Neville Jackson, DA EFF 7.26% MIND 1.41% PA 1%…
By ROD AMNER In this year’s election’s most closely contested ward, the African National Congress (ANC) narrowly retained the seat it won in an upset by-election in 2019 with 22.84% of the vote. The Makana Citizens Front (MCF) came in second with 21.65%, closely followed by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) with 19.59%. The Democratic Alliance (DA), which won the seat in 2016 with 67.68%, captured just 16.67% of the vote on Monday. The seat became vacant in 2019 when DA Councillor, Darryn Brian Holm, announced his resignation. The ANC’s Mzobanzi Nkwentsha won the by-election and won again in this…
By ROD AMNER The African National Congress (ANC) won Ward 10 comfortably despite a very strong showing from the Makana Citizens Front (MCF). Support for the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) almost halved and the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) votes dwindled to a trickle. Voter turnout was 43.28% in Ward 10 compared with 51.66% in 2016. Ward 10 Party 2016 % support Change % 2021 % support ANC 84.89 -20 66.78 MCF Did not stand 24.31 EFF 7.3 -41.91 4.24 DA 5.98 -75.25 1.48 ANC 66.78% MCF 24.31% EFF 4.24% AZAPO 1.83% DA 1.48% ATM 0.62% MIND 0.39% VF PLUS 0.27% …
By ROD AMNER The African National Congress (ANC) lost considerable support to the Makana Citizens Front (MCF) in Ward 9 but still won by a comfortable margin. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) lost support in this ward as the Democratic Alliance (DA) held steady. The voter turnout in Ward 9 was 46.32% compared with 52% in 2016. Ward 9 Party 2016 % support Change % 2021 % support ANC 84.92 -21 67.1 MCF Did not stand 18.44 EFF 9.22 -39 5.62 DA 5.86 -23 4.51 ANC 67.1% MCF 18.44% EFF 5.62% DA 4.51% AZAPO 2.98% ATM 0.82% MIND 0.24%…
By ROD AMNER The Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Cary Clark has won Ward 8 with 46% of the vote, followed by the Makana Citizens Front’s (MCF) Nthuthu Blow, with 28.2%. The voter turnout was 39% compared with 56% in 2016. Ward 8 Party 2016 % support Change 2021 % support DA 73.27 -37 46.03 MCF Did not stand 28.22 ANC 15.89 -20.75 12.62 MIND Did not stand 7.27 EFF 2.9 -6.2 2.72 DA 46.03% Cary Clark, Democratic Alliance (DA) candidate for Ward 8 MCF 28.22% Nthuthu Blow, Makana Citizens Front (MCF) candidate for Ward 8 ANC 12.62% MIND: 7.27% Jock McConnachie,…