DA urges voters not to split support as De Lille defends small parties

DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis casts his vote at Edgemead Primary School. Picture: Henk Kruger/ANA Studio.

Coalitions and votes for smaller parties was top of mind for some political party leaders as millions cast their ballots in the local government elections on Wednesday.

This as DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis said his party will only hold the majority in the City of Cape Town if every single DA supporter came out to vote.

Hill-Lewis said no voter should take for granted the progress that the City had made in the last five years and think to themselves that it was impossible to destroy progress.

“Progress takes many years to build up and can be destroyed in an instant. That is why we are specifically calling on every single DA voter to please show up and vote today and to unite behind the DA and not split votes among those minority parties,” he said when responding to questions from the media at Edgemead Primary, where he cast his ballot.

GOOD party leader Patricia De Lille waiting on the line to cast her vote at Pinelands Primary School. Picture by BHEKI RADEBE/ ANA Studio

However, GOOD Party leader Patricia de Lille described as “nonsense” the view by the so-called big parties urging voters not to cast their votes for smaller parties.

De Lille said people have a right to exercise their democratic right and choose any political party.

“It is the choice of the people that is enshrined in the constitution, not you or me or anybody else can tell people who to vote for,” she said in an interview before she cast her ballot at Pinelands Primary School.

In a veiled reference to the DA, De Lille also said those who wanted people not to vote for small parties had been voting since the days of the National Party and Democratic Party before the first democratic elections in 1994.

“Now they want to come and be so arrogant and tell our people who to vote for them. I think it's absolutely disgusting.”

She said while people were frustrated, angry and lost hope, if they wanted to see change, they could vote out those elected to positions in municipalities and cities.

“That's how strong your vote is. You can actually remove them.” 

Regarding coalitions, De Lille said there were some coalitions that were working but people tended to highlight the bad examples.

“Yes, it is wrong to have a revolving door of mayors coming in and out, but the solution is not to go and vote for two parties only. What guarantee do they have? They will do exactly the same. They are just trying to fool people and to influence people.” 

De Lille noted that there was no legislation currently governing coalitions.

“Sometimes those (coalition) agreements are not worth the paper they are written on because they are not legally binding, but I think that is where maturity comes in and respect for one another.

“Because no single party got a 50% plus one, and the one needs the other and therefore we need to respect each other,” she said.

She also said they have a framework that will guide them in coalition negotiations.

Asked about the prospects of a coalition in the City, Hill-Lewis said they would consider taking power with smaller parties like they did in the 2000s.

“Well, of course, we will if that is necessary, but I clearly hope it will not be necessary and it won't be necessary if everyone comes out to vote and votes DA,” he said.

Asked about the DA's chances realistically of taking other metros having used the City of Cape Town as a blueprint, Hill-Lewis was cautious to get excited about political polls showing strong support for his party.

“We know that polls do have a margin of error, but every independent poll in this election, the eNCA poll, the News24 poll, the SRF poll, and others, have all said we are well ahead as the leading party in all of South Africa's metros, bar eThekwini, where MKP is leading, and KuGompo (Buffalo) City in East London,” he said.

“That would be an extraordinary and historic moment if we were to lead in all three of the metros (Tshwane, Johannesburg and Tshwane) and the others as well, Nelson Mandela and Cape Town.

“The only poll that counts is the one happening behind me right now. Those polls (elections) test whether the polls are all right and real, but it is very exciting and it might be a wonderful blue wave across South Africa today.”