The George Local Municipality council consists of fifty-three members elected by mixed-member proportional representation . Twenty-seven councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in twenty-seven wards , while the remaining twenty-six are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received. In the election of 1 November 2021 no party obtained a majority of seats on the council. The DA did, however, win the largest amount of seats.
Results
The following table shows the composition of the council after past elections.
December 2000 election
The following table shows the results of the 2000 election.[ 1]
Party Ward List Total seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Democratic Alliance 13,781 47.10 8 14,182 48.72 9 17 African National Congress 11,534 39.42 9 11,505 39.52 5 14 George Community Initiative 2,381 8.14 1 2,137 7.34 2 3 Community Initiative 1,090 3.73 0 971 3.34 1 1 United Democratic Movement 197 0.67 0 316 1.09 0 0 Independent candidates 278 0.95 0 0 Total 29,261 100.00 18 29,111 100.00 17 35 Valid votes 29,261 98.46 29,111 97.91 Invalid/blank votes 457 1.54 620 2.09 Total votes 29,718 100.00 29,731 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 55,293 53.75 55,293 53.77
October 2002 floor crossing
In terms of the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution and the judgment of the Constitutional Court in United Democratic Movement v President of the Republic of South Africa and Others , in the period from 8–22 October 2002 councillors had the opportunity to cross the floor to a different political party without losing their seats.
In the George council, the three councillors of the George Community Initiative crossed to the Democratic Alliance.[ 2]
September 2004 floor crossing
Another floor-crossing period occurred on 1–15 September 2004, in which two councillors crossed from the Democratic Alliance to the African National Congress.[ 3]
March 2006 election
The following table shows the results of the 2006 election.[ 4]
Party Ward List Total seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Democratic Alliance 17,017 45.61 13 17,266 46.26 5 18 African National Congress 16,151 43.29 7 16,035 42.96 10 17 Independent Democrats 1,611 4.32 0 1,612 4.32 2 2 African Christian Democratic Party 605 1.62 0 572 1.53 1 1 Freedom Front Plus 533 1.43 0 512 1.37 1 1 Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa 423 1.13 0 398 1.07 0 0 George Independent Forum 413 1.11 0 367 0.98 0 0 Community Initiative 299 0.80 0 283 0.76 0 0 United Democratic Movement 112 0.30 0 278 0.74 0 0 Independent candidates 143 0.38 0 0 Total 37,307 100.00 20 37,323 100.00 19 39 Valid votes 37,307 98.84 37,323 98.82 Invalid/blank votes 439 1.16 447 1.18 Total votes 37,746 100.00 37,770 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 68,604 55.02 68,604 55.06
By-elections from March 2006 to May 2011
The following by-elections were held to fill vacant ward seats in the period between the elections in March 2006 and May 2011.[ 5]
May 2011 election
The following table shows the results of the 2011 election.[ 6]
Party Ward List Total seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Democratic Alliance 28,155 50.55 16 28,491 51.01 9 25 African National Congress 21,720 39.00 9 22,156 39.66 10 19 Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners 1,668 2.99 0 1,573 2.82 1 1 Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa 927 1.66 0 851 1.52 1 1 African Christian Democratic Party 786 1.41 0 696 1.25 1 1 George Independent Ratepayers Forum 813 1.46 0 568 1.02 1 1 Congress of the People 511 0.92 0 515 0.92 1 1 Freedom Front Plus 436 0.78 0 370 0.66 0 0 National People's Party 250 0.45 0 237 0.42 0 0 South Cape Community Forum 134 0.24 0 113 0.20 0 0 Independent candidates 209 0.38 0 0 United Democratic Movement 75 0.13 0 134 0.24 0 0 Ou Pacaltsdorp Inwoners Vereniging 155 0.28 0 0 African People's Convention 14 0.03 0 0 Total 55,698 100.00 25 55,859 100.00 24 49 Valid votes 55,698 98.69 55,859 99.02 Invalid/blank votes 737 1.31 555 0.98 Total votes 56,435 100.00 56,414 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 90,601 62.29 90,601 62.27
By-elections from May 2011 to August 2016
The following by-elections were held to fill vacant ward seats in the period between the elections in May 2011 and August 2016.[ 5]
August 2016 election
The following table shows the results of the 2016 election.[ 7]
Party Ward List Total seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Democratic Alliance 33,098 55.13 18 33,321 55.74 11 29 African National Congress 17,633 29.37 9 17,348 29.02 7 16 Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners 1,983 3.30 0 2,024 3.39 2 2 Economic Freedom Fighters 1,514 2.52 0 1,485 2.48 1 1 Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa 1,483 2.47 0 1,505 2.52 1 1 Freedom Front Plus 1,029 1.71 0 955 1.60 1 1 African Christian Democratic Party 877 1.46 0 782 1.31 1 1 African Independent Congress 693 1.15 0 850 1.42 1 1 South Africa Civics 724 1.21 0 755 1.26 1 1 Christian Democrats 188 0.31 0 208 0.35 0 0 Independent candidates 394 0.66 0 0 Democratic New Civic Association 156 0.26 0 211 0.35 0 0 South African Religious Civic Organisation 134 0.22 0 138 0.23 0 0 George Independent Ratepayers Forum 93 0.15 0 92 0.15 0 0 Christian United Movement S.A. 30 0.05 0 57 0.10 0 0 Ubuntu Party 3 0.00 0 45 0.08 0 0 Total 60,032 100.00 27 59,776 100.00 26 53 Valid votes 60,032 98.65 59,776 98.51 Invalid/blank votes 823 1.35 904 1.49 Total votes 60,855 100.00 60,680 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 100,886 60.32 100,886 60.15
By-elections from August 2016 to November 2021
The following by-elections were held to fill vacant ward seats in the period between the elections in August 2016 and November 2021.[ 5]
November 2021 election
The following table shows the results of the 2021 election.[ 8]
Party Ward List Total seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Democratic Alliance 24,875 46.01 16 25,088 46.89 10 26 African National Congress 9,709 17.96 9 9,439 17.64 1 10 Good 5,665 10.48 3 5,566 10.40 3 6 Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners 5,385 9.96 0 5,275 9.86 5 5 Freedom Front Plus 3,690 6.82 0 3,451 6.45 4 4 Economic Freedom Fighters 1,605 2.97 0 1,553 2.90 2 2 Patriotic Alliance 814 1.51 0 913 1.71 1 1 African Christian Democratic Party 851 1.57 0 821 1.53 1 1 Cape Independence Party 268 0.50 0 265 0.50 0 0 Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa 266 0.49 0 266 0.50 0 0 African Independent Congress 107 0.20 0 197 0.37 0 0 African Transformation Movement 150 0.28 0 152 0.28 0 0 United Independent Movement 120 0.22 0 116 0.22 0 0 Active United Front 103 0.19 0 99 0.19 0 0 The Organic Humanity Movement 102 0.19 0 97 0.18 0 0 Compatriots of South Africa 91 0.17 0 79 0.15 0 0 African People's Convention 84 0.16 0 53 0.10 0 0 Independent candidates 137 0.25 0 0 Africa Restoration Alliance 45 0.08 0 46 0.09 0 0 Spectrum National Party 3 0.01 0 25 0.05 0 0 African Freedom Revolution 7 0.01 0 0 Total 54,070 100.00 28 53,508 100.00 27 55 Valid votes 54,070 98.92 53,508 98.84 Invalid/blank votes 588 1.08 627 1.16 Total votes 54,658 100.00 54,135 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 106,525 51.31 106,525 50.82
By-elections from November 2021
The following by-elections were held to fill vacant ward seats in the period since the election in November 2021.[ 5]
The three Good ward councillors (the party's only ward councillors in the country) resigned, with two joining the Democratic Alliance (DA) and one of the three, Richard Hector, a two-term ward councillor, attempting to reverse his decision. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) declared that he had resigned, and so three by-elections needed to be held. The by-elections were marred by allegations of voter registration fraud, with Good claiming that, in one instance, 188 people were registered at the same address in spite of only two people living there. The IEC dismissed the claims and the by-elections went ahead.[ 10] Good lost all three seats, with two going to the DA, and one to the Patriotic Alliance (PA).[ 11]
As a result, the DA, which governed in coalition with Freedom Front Plus (FF+), gained a majority of 28 seats (up from 26) of the 55 available seats, Good fell to 3 from 6, and the PA increased from 1 to 2.
The DA lost its majority after the by-election on 14 February 2024 when it lost ward 8 to the PA, and will have to govern with the support of the FF+ once more.[ 9]
The council composition as of 14 February 2024 is shown below.
Notes
^ a b Elected uncontested as no other candidates were nominated.
^ By-election was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
References