What Simmers saw in Cape Town has lifted DA hopes
CAPE TOWN — DA Western Cape leader Tertuis Simmers says strong participation by party supporters in areas traditionally associated with the ANC has reinforced his confidence that the DA can retain Cape Town. His assessment comes as the party awaits results that will show whether its campaign has protected its municipal majority.
Speaking to journalist, Simmers said voters appeared to have responded to the party’s mobilisation efforts. “What I’ve observed tells me that the voters heeded our call; they went out en masse to vote,” he said, while acknowledging that the final outcome remained outstanding.
The DA has governed Cape Town since 2006 and held an outright majority since 2011, making the city central to its record in government. Retaining that majority would allow it to continue governing without needing coalition partners, while a weaker showing would increase the influence of opposition parties in council. As reported before voting that the DA was heavily favoured to retain control.
Simmers’ ambitions extend beyond the metro to municipalities in the Garden Route, Overberg and central Karoo. He pointed to Bitou as an example of how narrow margins can determine political control, saying the party had missed out by 28 votes in 2021 and 50 in 2016. Those figures were his account of the previous contests.
Reporting from the Western Cape results centre on Thursday, the Cape Times said Simmers described a campaign focused on the DA’s own work and policies. He also acknowledged lessons from the campaign as the party assessed its performance across the province.
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