PORT ELIZABETH - ANC BLAMES LOW VOTER TURNOUT FOR ITS HEAVY LOSS OF NELSON MANDELA BAY METRO

The African National Congress (ANC) says voter turnout in its strongholds in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro was poor in this municipal elections.

The party finished second in the race to control the hotly-contested metro, after the DA got the most votes cast during Wednesday’s local government elections.

Sixty-four-point-five percent of registered voters turned up to vote in the metro, according to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC)’s official figures.

The ANC is licking its wounds after the Democratic Alliance (DA) became the biggest party in the metro.

The party’s regional Secretary Beza Ntshona says low voter turnout contributed to their loss but says the party will have to look at why people voted the way they did in the metro.

“In many instances you always see that some people will prefer to vote for the ward candidate and not vote for the PR or vice versa. We always want to know what’s causing [this trend] on our side.”

He says, going forward the party will have to change its strategy.

“And we do acknowledge even in our own campaigns that there are still things that need to be done - and those particular things we know them, we’ve been interacting with them. but in many instances people always relate unrelated things when it comes to elections.”

Mayor-elect Athol Trollip’s campaign manager Kristof Adelbert has told Eyewitness News that the party made substantial gains in ANC strongholds in the metro including KwaNobuhle.

The ANC has retained control of the Buffalo Metropolitan Municipality, even though support has declined by 6 percent compared to the 2011 local government elections.

VIA - ewn.co.za