Status quo entrenched and no surprises in the Western Cape
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Date
2016
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
South African Association of Public Administration and Management (SAAPAM)
Abstract
Unlike previous elections in the province,
there was an expectance that the Democratic
Alliance (DA) would retain control of the
City of Cape Town, as well as consolidate in
other municipalities in the Western Cape.
In the run-up to the 2016 local government
election, the ANC, in the Western Cape
put on a brave face indicating that it could
unseat the DA. However, the 2016 election
in the Western Cape saw an entrenchment
of the status quo. Indeed, the story of the
2016 Local Government Election in the
Western Cape is the story of the DA’s ascent
and the ANC’s decline in the province. The
DA consolidated its support base in the City
of Cape Town from a comfortable majority
of 61 percent, in 2011, securing a twothirds
majority of 68 percent in 2016. In
the rest of the Western Cape, the DA also
consolidated its support base, winning in
most municipalities with an outright majority
and taking control of the balance through
coalition agreements. The African National
Congress (ANC), which had lost control of
the city in 2006 when it was forced out of
power through a DA-led coalition, saw its
fortunes decline even further in 2016. The
ANC no longer controls a single municipality
in the Western Cape. This article examines
electoral dynamics in the Western Cape,
which saw the consolidation of DA support
in the province.
Description
Keywords
Democratic Alliance (DA), City of Cape Town, Local government elections, ANC
Citation
Africa, C. (2016). Status quo entrenched and no surprises in the Western Cape. Journal of Public Administration, 51(3.1): 513 – 531.