By Celani Sikhakhane
- The DA won ward 64 with 3,197 votes, beating the MK Party’s 1,141. The ANC came third with 516 votes in the Montclair by-election.
- The ANC accused the MK Party of intimidation, violence and busing voters. Police stepped in when ANC members clashed with an MKP supporter.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has held onto ward 64 in Montclair, south of Durban, after a close by-election battle with the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP).
The DA secured 3,197 votes, while the MKP won 1,141. The ANC managed just 516, Rise Mzansi 139 and the EFF 73.
The ward was hotly contested after the MKP shocked the DA earlier this year by taking ward 110 in Mount Moria, which includes Umhlanga.
New DA councillor Norman Gilbert warned his supporters that only a strong turnout would keep the MKP from snatching the seat. A total of 5,082 voters turned up across nine voting stations.
Trouble broke out before the polls closed. ANC members accused a woman of trying to vote illegally, saying she lived in another ward. Police and election officials allowed her to vote after she produced proof that she qualified.
The ANC later accused the MKP of violence, intimidation and busing in voters from outside the ward. Regional spokesperson Thinta Cibane also claimed municipal staff used city vehicles to deliver MKP regalia.
“We call on the city manager to act against officials caught helping the MKP,” Cibane said.
DA leader in KwaZulu-Natal Francois Rodgers celebrated the win, calling it a rejection of the MKP. The MKP’s candidate in the ward was Stanley Dlamini, while the ANC fielded Babongile Nqashi.
Pictured above: DA leaders Francois Rodgers and Dianne Kohler Barnard celebrated their newly elected ward 64 councillor Norman Gilbert after a tight race with MKP after Wednesday by election in Durban.
Image source: DA KZN
