2009/10/02
RHODES students deserted the ANC in favour of the Democratic Alliance, according to preliminary results for the Makana region.
At 6pm yesterday the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) suggested the ANC had dropped from an 80percent majority in Makana in the 2004 general election to about 65.7percent .
Cope garnered about 13.59 percent of the vote in the region and the DA scooped over 16.5 percent.
But the DA thrashed other parties at the Rhodes University voting station and by 6pm had taken almost half the national vote there and 44.8 percent of the provincial vote.
This, said the DA’s Professor Michael Whisson , is an indication that “thinking young people are not automatically bound to the party of their ancestors”.
Cope managed 24.7 percent of the national vote and 30.5 percent of provincial votes at the Rhodes Theatre voting station.
The ANC collected a mere 18.5percent of the national vote and 16.15percent of the provincial vote.
Political parties sent in heavyweights to try to garner youth support at the university in the run up to the election. These included the DA’s Eddie Trent and DA provincial leader Athol Trollip, Cope’s Smuts Ngonyama and youth leader Anele Mda, and ANC stalwart Gugile Nkwinti, among others .
The no-show of ANC Youth League president Julius Malema disappointed and infuriated hundreds of students who turned up a few weeks before the election for his much publicised talk.
Whisson declared himself “satisfied” with the DA’s performance in the region. Commenting on the ANC’s albeit diminished victory, he said: “I am always a little disappointed in the naivete of those in our electorate who go on voting for people they know to be incompetent and corrupt. They vote on the basis of promises rather than delivery.”
Cope regional spokesperson Mlindi Nhanha said he was “fairly satisfied” with his party’s performance.
“We are a party that is barely four months old. We were up against the ANC’s well-oiled election machinery and we did remarkably well, all things considered. We now need to focus on consolidation and growth.”
ANC chairperson of the Makana sub-region Phumzile Smile said he would prefer to hold back comment until the results had been finalised.
The Azanian People’s Organisation (Azapo) made a surprise showing in the preliminary results, coming fourth overall in the Makana district behind the ANC, DA and Cope.
Although the preliminary results showed it received only 1.16 percent of the 32063 votes cast, it pipped other parties such as the UDM, ACDP, and ID to the fourth position. - By ADRIENNE CARLISLE
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