A by-election in Cape Town on Wednesday, 8 February, will be marked by the absence of South Africa’s two biggest parties. The ward, in the  Kensington/Maitland/Windermere area of the metropole, was left vacant following ward councillor Helen Jacobs’ resignation at the end of 2022. 

Previously held by the Democratic Alliance (DA) with 53.91% of the votes received in the 2021 local government elections, the ward will be one of two contested countrywide this week. 

The by-election will stand out as having neither a DA nor an African National Congress (ANC) candidate. The DA failed to register a candidate in time, reported News24.

The ANC’s provincial head of elections, Cameron Dugmore, told Daily Maverick on Monday that the party “experienced a problem with our internal candidate selection process… and in the end, we did not register a candidate”.

The by-election will be contested by the Good party, Patriotic Alliance (PA), Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Al Jama-ah, Pan Africanist Congress of Azania, the African Christian Democratic Party and its breakaway party, the Africa Restoration Alliance (ARA).

Visit Daily Maverick’s home page for more news, analysis and investigations

Election analyst Wayne Sussman told Daily Maverick that whichever party wins the by-election could claim they were the “best-placed alternative to the DA in Cape Town and DA in 2024”.

Candidates include the PA’s Cheslyn Steenberg, who was a member of the Kensington Community Policing Forum. Party president and Central Karoo District Municipality Mayor Gayton McKenzie lent his support to the PA’s candidate, with door-to-door visits in the area.

Kevin Inglis, who stood as an independent candidate for the ward in the 2021 local government election and gained 10% of the votes, will return to the ballot as a candidate for the Good party. 

“We hope that voters will elect our Good candidate, Kevin Inglis, who is the perfect Good candidate: an activist at heart who has served the community in voluntary roles for years,” said Good‘s secretary-general, Brett Herron, on Monday. In the lead-up to the by-election, Good party leader Patricia de Lille has been with Inglis on walkabouts in the area. 

🗳 Aunty Pat campaigning with our Cape Town Ward 56 by-election candidate – Kevin Inglis.

Kevin is ready to serve with honesty, integrity, and passion.

Vote Kevin Inglis on 8 February 2023! pic.twitter.com/MNK69HIYc7

— GOOD (@ForGoodZA) January 29, 2023

EFF candidate Cameron Peters has been campaigning in the area with several of the party’s provincial leaders. He has promised to be available 24/7 and to upgrade public facilities, including schools.

♦️By-election alert♦️

In Ward 56, the EFF will create employment opportunities through partnerships with various organisations/businesses#VoteEFF pic.twitter.com/dsKnsLp1cx

— EFF_Western Cape (@EFFWesternCape_) February 6, 2023

“The by-election is thus also very interesting because the two old parties, the DA and the ANC, are not contesting and so it’s a battleground for the newer parties… the ward will be the only ward in the city not represented in council by either the DA or ANC,” said Herron. 

The by-election has not been without drama; News24 reported the Good party had reported the ARA to the Electoral Commission, claiming the ARA had promised to paint people’s homes if they voted for the party. 

The other by-election will take place in Dikgatlong municipality in the Northern Cape, and will be contested by the DA, ANC and PA. DM