The DA’s Vasco da Gama has been elected speaker of the city of Johannesburg council.
Da Gama defeated the ANC’s Eunice Mgcina by 29 votes.
The results came after a long-winded nominations and voting process that took more than four hours to complete.
Da Gama, who was nominated twice, emerged the victor with 147 votes while Mgcina fell short with 118.
This means that if this voting pattern continues, the DA is now in with a chance of pulling a surprise of winning the mayorship of the biggest and richest metro in the country
What Da Gama’s numbers show are that ActionSA voted with the DA while it is not clear who the EFF voted for, though there is likelihood they voted for Da Gama.
This will not be the first time Da Gama occupies the position as he won it after the 2016 local government elections. The council sitting continues and is expected to go on into the evening to elect the new mayor.
The disappointment and disbelief was written on the faces of ANC councillors, an extreme U-turn to the energy they showed before voting when they danced and sang inside the venue.
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