Western Cape voters weigh small parties against the DA

DA leader and Cape Town mayoral candidate Geordin Hill-Lewis voted in Edgemead. He said the party would keep its majority only if every voter turned out for the DA. He also said the DA was the only party with a credible plan for governance.

In Knysna, DA mayoral candidate Levael Davis said only the DA was seeking a majority and that coalitions had failed. Jan van der Westhuizen, chairperson of the Greater Knysna Business Chamber, said the municipality was in serious trouble. He said coalitions would likely remain and that better planning and accountability were needed.

A Western Cape government inspection found that 11 of Knysna's 67 sewer pump stations were fully functional. The Akkerkloof Dam stood at 15% capacity. Former Knysna mayor Thando Matika was arrested on 1 October and released on R20,000 bail. He and senior officials face allegations of corruption, extortion and money laundering linked to a R68 million security contract.

At Sunray Primary School in Delft, about 700 of 2,700 voters had cast ballots by early afternoon. In Pacaltsdorp, DA loyalist Erest Kietwitz questioned how people could vote for a party that had done nothing. Polling data suggested the DA majority was safe despite the surge by the Patriotic Alliance.