DA pleased with by-election results 

The Democratic Alliance is pleased with the results of the by-elections we contested in five municipalities in three provinces today. 

The DA recorded significant growth in two "safe" ANC seats in Ndlambe Municipality in the Eastern Cape and in Soweto in the City of Johannesburg. In both of these wards we won a higher percentage of the vote than ever before in those municipalities.

This shows that the DA is growing in all communities, and that more and more people are putting their faith in the DA as the party that can bring South Africans together and deliver on its promises to the voters.

In ward 28, in Soweto, the DA grew its support from 1.47% in 2009 to 8.23% in 2011 and now to 16.77% in this by-election. In ward 5, in Ndlambe, the DA's support grew from 11.7% in 2011 to 17.5% in this by-election.

The result in Soweto is a further expression of disapproval by the voters at the way the ANC is managing the City of Johannesburg, and an endorsement of the DA's offer of a real alternative government in Johannesburg and Gauteng.

The DA also retained three seats, winning ward 45 (Manenberg-Gugulethu) in the City of Cape Town, ward 11 (Grabouw) in Theewaterskloof, and ward 7 in Sunday's River Valley in the Eastern Cape. 

In ward 45, Manenberg-Gugulethu, the DA increased its majority, growing from 47.7% in 2011 to 59.36% in this by-election. This growth was achieved despite a massive effort from the ANC to win back this seat, which has until recently always been an ANC seat. Visits to the area from ANC heavyweights like Minister Lindiwe Sisulu have had no effect on the result. Tonight's result is undoubtedly an endorsement of the DA government's achievements in bringing redress and delivery to all the people of Cape Town. 

In Grabouw, the DA won the ward despite a co-ordinated ANC effort to undermine our campaign and win over the ward, as part of "Operation Reclaim", the ANC's scheme to destabilise politics in the Western Cape and subvert the will of the voters. 

The ANC ran a divisive and negative campaign in Grabouw from the start - and continued its intimidation of voters and DA activists right up to the end of voting last night.   

Voters in Grabouw saw through the ANC'S shameful hate-mongering, and returned the DA to office in ward 11, endorsing the work that the DA government is doing in Theewaterskloof. 

The DA is pleased with yesterday results, and particularly pleased with the signs of the DA's growing support among communities which have not previously supported us.

Statement issued by DA leader Helen Zille, April 26 2012

Source: IEC (www.elections.org.za )

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