Staff Reporter|Published
Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says the 4 November local elections are too close for DA supporters to take the party’s majority for granted, warning that votes for smaller parties could reduce its support and lead to coalition talks.
He said the DA was polling at 51% in the city, while voters have raised concerns about housing, service delivery and municipal spending priorities.
Hill-Lewis calls for renewed DA mandate
In a statement, Hill-Lewis urged Capetonians to vote for the DA, pointing to instability in Johannesburg, Tshwane and eThekwini as a warning of what could happen if Cape Town lost its outright majority.
“I am calling on Capetonians to keep coalition chaos out of our city by voting for the Democratic Alliance on 4 November,” he said.
“Cape Town has made so much progress, but we have much more to do, and we cannot allow the instability that has gripped Johannesburg to take hold here.”
Hill-Lewis said the election was too close for DA supporters to assume the party would retain control without a strong turnout.
“Currently, the race for Cape Town is close. Cape Town’s progress is on the ballot. And there is no such thing as a safe majority if the people who support it stay at home. Polling puts the DA at 51% in Cape Town, and this election is too close for comfort,” he said.
He added that voting for smaller parties could open the door for the ANC and EFF to take over the city.
“We cannot allow that instability to come to Cape Town,” he said.
DA points to jobs, law enforcement and infrastructure
Hill-Lewis said the City had added 418,000 jobs, deployed more law enforcement officers and invested in infrastructure to meet the needs of Cape Town’s growing population.
He called on voters to give the DA a renewed mandate, arguing that the city had made progress but still had more work to do.
His warning comes as parties make their final appeals for support ahead of the November 4 elections.
Housing and service delivery under scrutiny
At IOL’s Mayoral Candidate Town Hall last week, voters criticised the DA’s priorities, including the N2 Wall project and militarised crime-fighting equipment.
Concerns centred on whether these priorities were being given preference over service delivery and housing in poorer communities.
The criticism comes as Hill-Lewis seeks to persuade voters that continued DA control is necessary to maintain the city’s progress.
Ipsos study finds support for coalition cooperation
While Hill-Lewis has warned against coalition government, an Ipsos study found that many South Africans support cooperation between political parties at municipal level.
According to the findings, 54% of voting-age South Africans believe different parties should work together in local government, while 24% oppose the approach.
The findings highlight a contrast between Hill-Lewis’s warning about coalition instability and the reported support for inter-party cooperation among voters.
Hill-Lewis, meanwhile, has urged DA supporters not to stay away from the polls, arguing that the outcome could determine whether the party retains control of Cape Town.