Political control changed hands in 21 municipalities in four provinces following a 15-day floor-crossing window period for local councillors — 13 of them in the Western Cape, it emerged on Friday.
The national African National Congress (ANC)/New National Party (NNP) coalition emerged the victor in 20 of these municipalities, according to data released by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in Pretoria.
The coalition shares power with another party in only one of the 21 municipalities — with the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in Ugu in KwaZulu-Natal.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) lost sole power in 15 local councils, in three it previously shared with the ANC, and in one it shared with the ANC and IFP.
The IFP lost the power it shared with the ANC in one council, with the ANC and DA in another, and the sole power it used to have in a third.
In the Western Cape, the DA lost seven municipalities to the ANC — Cape Town, Drakenstein, Stellenbosch, Overberg, Swellendam, the Garden Route/Klein Karoo, and the South Cape DC.
It lost two councils in the province to the NNP — Brede River and Overstrand. Three councils it previously shared with the ANC fell to the ANC alone — Saldanha Bay, Witzenberg and Oudtshoorn, while one council previously controlled by the DA was taken over by an equal number of ANC and NNP councillors — Prince Albert.
In the Eastern Cape, Baviaans went from the DA to the ANC, and Aberdeen Plain from the DA to the NNP.
Three councils in the Northern Cape previously controlled by the DA fell into ANC hands — Karoo Hoogland, Kareeberg and Renosterberg.
In KwaZulu-Natal, the Kwa Sani municipality, previously shared by the ANC and IFP went to the ANC alone, and in Ugu the IFP now has an equal number of councillors to the ANC. In Endumeni, previously jointly controlled by the IFP, ANC and DA, the ANC emerged as sole victor.
No municipalities changed hands in the Free State, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo or the North West.
A 15-day window period for councillors to change political allegiances without losing their seats expired at midnight on Tuesday.
About one in every 14, or seven percent, of the country’s approximately 8 000 councillors made use of the opportunity — 555 in total.
The IEC on Thursday said most of the floor-crossers (417) were from the DA. Of these, 340 moved to the NNP. The DA gained 17 new councillors.
The NNP gained a total of 354 councillors while the ANC lost 16 and gained 128. – Sapa