Small party surprises with 24 seats so far

The African Independent Congress has garnered nearly 200 000 votes in the local poll, more than 500 percent up from 2011.

Durban – A small party that was formed over a municipal demarcation dispute in a town in KwaZulu-Natal has garnered a surprisingly high number of votes in the local government elections.

The African Independent Congress had by 12pm on Friday picked up 199 299 votes nationally as well as 24 seats, according to the website of the Electoral Commission. That means the party has improved its showing by more than 500 percent over the previous election in 2011, when it picked up a mere 30 372 votes.

Members of the African National Congress have repeatedly claimed that voters were confused over whether they were voting for the ANC or the AIC, both of which sport the same black, green and gold colours.

The AIC was formed in December 2005 by former ANC members with the express aim of contesting the 2006 local government elections in a bid to have the town of Matatiele reincorporated into KwaZulu-Natal from the Eastern Cape.

While the party failed to get Matatiele reincorporated, the AIC has had staying power.

Apart from its success in municipal elections, it has managed to get three members elected to Parliament as well as a member elected to the Eastern Cape legislature.

In the little town of Matatiele, where it all started, the party has won four seats in this election.

Party leader Mandla Galo dismissed accusations that the party had benefitted from the confusion over colours and names.

“I want to say that this this is psychological warfare. They are undermining the intelligence of the people of South Africa,” he said.

He pointed out that the party had grown even in developed areas where people were more educated.

“I’m sure that you have seen that we have also got a foot in George. That shows you very clearly that the African Independent Congress is growing. Come 2019 we are going to increase the seats in the National Assembly,” he said.

Apart from Matatiele, the party picked up a further six seats in other municipalities in the Eastern Cape, two seats in the Mangaung Metro and one in Maluti a Phofung in the Free State, a seat in Merafong City (Carletonville) in Gauteng, six seats in KwaZulu-Natal, two in Mpumalanga, a seat in the Northern Cape municipality of Phokwane (Hartswater) and a seat in George in the Western Cape.

AIC had not picked up any seats in Limpopo or North West municipalities by 9am, but it did receive a few thousand votes in those provinces.

Once the election results are finalised, the AIC may well have councillors in those two provinces as well.

African News Agency