DA happy about ANC’s decline in Mpumalanga, accepts 3rd place

Despite being ousted by the EFF as the official opposition party in Mpumalanga, the Democratic Alliance on Friday said it still retained a powerful position in the province.

“Despite no longer being the official opposition in the Mpumalanga provincial legislature, we have maintained all our seats, ensuring that the project of building 'One South for All' remains well on track. The DA will continue to lead the fight against corruption and maladministration as we continue to hold the executive to account,” said DA provincial leader Jane Sithole in a statement.

She said if anything, the DA was happy that with each election, the ANC continued to lose voter support in the province.

While the ANC retained its top spot with a comfortable 70.5%, this was about 8% less than in the previous election.

“This election has proven that the people of Mpumalanga are ready and willing to take control of their future and will no longer allow a corrupt government to steal public funds at the expense of the people.”

The EFF received 12.79% of the 1.2 million votes cast in the province which was more than double the support they enjoyed in 2014.

The DA came in third with 9.77%, a marginal decline from the 10.4% obtained in the province in 2014.

“The DA remains the only party that has continued to grow across racial, cultural and language divides in many communities across the province. We have also increased our support in rural municipalities such as Thembisile Hani, Dr JS Moroka, Mkhondo, Nkomazi and Msukaligwa, a clear demonstration that the DA’s offer appeals to South Africans from all walks of life,” said Sithole.

She expressed concern however over the low voter turnout, saying almost 40% of registered voters did not cast their vote on May 8.