The residents of ward 9 in Stellenbosch recently voted in a new ward councillor. This is according to the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) website.
Isabelle de Taillefer of the Democratic Alliance (DA) received 94.7% of the votes, 180 votes out of 190, according to the results released by the IEC.
The by-election was held on 14 May, following the resignation of Zelda Dalling, the previous councillor, according to Lwando Nkamisa, a member of the mayoral council of Stellenbosch Municipality.
Isabelle de Taillefer, the newly-elected ward 9 councillor, was previously a Freedom Front Plus (FF+) councillor in Stellenbosch Municipality and has since joined the Democratic Alliance (DA). This is according to Lwando Nkamisa, a member of the mayoral committee in Stellenbosch Municipality. PHOTO: Hlomla Mdala
Ward 9 includes a large part of the university campus and residences, as well as Dorp, Plein, Church, Andringa, and Ryneveld Street, according to the IEC website.
The by-election was contested by two candidates, De Taillefer and Alsa-Abby Kekana of the African National Congress (ANC), according to the IEC website.
A vote of confidence
“This result is a vote of confidence from the residents of Stellenbosch, affirming trust in the DA’s record of excellence in governance and [service] delivery,” said Tertuis Simmers, DA Western Cape leader, in correspondence with SMF News.
Effective governance and reliability will be one of the key priorities of the new councillor, according to Simmers.
“[A] good, clean government matters, and reliable service delivery from principled leadership continues to resonate with voters,” said Simmers. “We are deeply grateful to every voter who placed their confidence in the DA.”
Stellenbosch Municipality recently held a by-election, during which the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the African National Congress (ANC) set up tables in front of the Stellenbosch town hall, the voting station for ward 9. SMF News was present. The tables were used to assist voters who wanted to check if they appeared on the voters’ roll for the ward, according to Ayanda Tomose, an ANC leader in Stellenbosch. PHOTO: Hlomla Mdala
No space left uncontested
Kekana, the ANC candidate, said that she had accepted the outcome of the by-election, which saw her receive only 10 out of the 190 votes, according to the IEC website.
“We aren’t too surprised by the results,” said Kekana. “We went into this knowing that we are contesting a stronghold of the opposition, but maintained that no space should be left uncontested.”
Despite the outcome, Kekana told SMF News that support for the ANC in ward 9 has increased compared to 2021. She also said that this was a learning opportunity for the ANC, in preparation for the 2026 local government elections.
Voter turnout
Ward 9 has 3 232 registered voters; however, only 190 votes were counted during the by-election, according to the IEC website.
The Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) is responsible for ensuring that elections are run properly, with one of its duties being voter education and ensuring that people understand the voting process. This is according to Ayanda Tomose, a leader of the African National Congress (ANC) in Stellenbosch. PHOTO: Hlomla Mdala
“I must note that the overall voter turnout was extremely low,” said Kekana. “We didn’t see as many young people coming out to vote as we would have hoped.”
Kekana said that young people need to realise that they are the future of the country.
“[There is] a lot more that needs to be done to promote active citizenship and encourage public participation,” said Kekana.
SMF News reached out to De Taillefer, but did not receive comment by time of publication.