- In the hotly contested Western Cape province, eight candidates from different parties are vying for the premiership.
- The DA has led the province since 2009, but other parties are now vying for control.
- Everything you need to know about the 2024 general election on News24 Election Hub.
Eight strong candidates from different political parties are vying for the position of Western Cape premier.
The DA has firmly led the province since the ANC lost power in 2009, but other parties are now competing for the DA's top power.
FOLLOW LIVE | More than 900,000 special ballots have already been cast, with millions more expected to be cast at polling stations on Wednesday
The state was one of the most hotly contested in Wednesday's election.
The EFF and ANC are yet to announce their candidate for premier in the province.
The DA has chosen incumbent Premier Alan Winde as its candidate.
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Winde says his main goal is to raise the party's support in the state to above 51 percent, the minimum threshold for staying in power.
“We keep saying we have one proven party and we have a lot to do, but we need 800,000 more jobs. Of course, I want 50% plus 1%, that's the minimum. We need a majority and we have to get it,” Winde told News24 in an interview.
Brenthurst Foundation polling data suggests the DA plans to continue running the Western Cape with a 53% majority (down from 56% in October 2023).
The ANC's share of the vote jumped from 22% in October 2023 to 35%.
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The popular Eden district of Knysna is currently ruled by a coalition government between the ANC and the Patriotic Alliance (PA), which removed the DA from power in 2022.
In recent by-elections, the Palestinian Authority won two constituencies in the province previously held by the DA and ANC.
In Oudtsholen, the PA won the constituency with 1,279 votes (65.4%) and in the other constituency in the Swartland municipality it won with 853 votes (40.18%).
The PA's success is due in large part to its strong support from majority-coloured communities in the Western Cape and its influence in the churches.
The party's growing popularity in the Western Cape appears to be gradually eroding the DA's advantage.
The PA has nominated leader Gayton McKenzie as its state leadership candidate, and Mr McKenzie said he was confident the party would take the lead in the election.
In an interview with News24, he said he was willing to join a coalition government with the DA.
He said:
The DA is not going to get 30% support in this province. They are not going to get anywhere near 30%. I am going to talk to the DA and I am going to work with anybody. I am going to work with the DA, I am going to work with the ANC, I am going to work with Al Jamaah.
GOOD leader Patricia de Lille is also competing for the state premier's position.
“There is unfinished business in the province and I will continue to fight for a fairer Western Cape, just as I have fought for a fairer South Africa for most of my life,” she said.
Professor Muhammad Haron, son of anti-apartheid activist Imam Abdullah Haron, is Al-Jama'ah's candidate for Western Cape premier.
Furlong told News24 there were several urgent and significant issues across the Western Cape.
“The state is facing unemployment issues, which is an issue that needs attention, we are facing water and electricity cuts and we need to use our expertise in these areas to curb and put an end to this. [we should] “We will look at how to address it in the best way we can. These are selected issues but there are many other issues that need the necessary attention,” he said.
Political newcomer RISE Mzansi's Western Cape premier candidate Axolil Notiwala said: “I [how we live] “On the issue of inequality in the city and on issues around inequality. I've always been an advocate for equality, justice and freedom. There have been some things in recent years where we've been able to impact and make a difference. But at least for me, it hasn't been as much as I would have liked in the last 15 years.”
ACDP provincial leader and premier candidate Ferlon Christian said safety, unemployment and education are his top priorities.
“On security, we need to put resources into the CPF and neighbourhood watches. We need to recruit young people to get them off the streets, use spaces in religious places and schools to equip them with skills, and call on retired artisans and professionals to help. The education system is not working.”
He said:
We need to address issues of inequality and safety in our schools. I have worked in these roles for 10 years and I am confident that ACDP policies can make a difference.
ActionSA's Western Cape premier's candidate Angela Sobey is running.
Sobey told News24 he believes the Western Cape is moving in the right direction, but only for some people in the province.
“Unfortunately, this is not the real experience of most people in the Western Cape. They lack services and still live in extreme poverty and extremely poor conditions. Nothing is being done about the legacy of apartheid spatial planning that people still live in. The Cape Flats where I lived as a child is still the same, if not worse, than it was before.
“There's no maintenance being done there. There are communities of color living in their backyards and black communities living in squatter camps. So it's a step in the right direction, but only in some people's experience,” she said.
READ | 2024 elections: Winde aims for 51% vote share in Western Cape, Zille joins to 'deliver best result'
FF Plus' Western Cape representative, Corné Mulder, has been named as the party's first candidate.
“It's time to take the Western Cape to a new level and I believe we can take the province to a new level. Our focus is on economic growth and investment,” Mulder said in an interview.
Mulder believes the state's DA will fall below 50%.
“The DA has become complacent in the Western Cape and is taking voters for granted, which is why the party's approval rating is below 50 percent and a coalition government is more likely,” he said.