The winners – and losers – in the elections

Newly elected Democratic Alliance (DA) ward counsellor Daniel Schay feels “absolutely privileged” to be voted into ward 72. And in Sea Point, the DA’s Nicola Jowell feels “extremely grateful” to be reappointed councillor after Monday’s municipal elections.

Having moved up the ranks at the DA since joining the party in 2016, Schay is now councillor for Linksfield, Sydenham, and Glenhazel.

According to TimesLive’s local government elections database, by 11:49 on 3 November, the DA had won the ward with 76.8%. The African National Congress came second with 9%, while ActionSA, whose ward candidate was Colin Morris, finished third with 7.10%.

Justin Kruger, the ward candidate for the Civic Movement of South, and Sidney Anolik, the ward candidate for the Freedom Front Plus (FFP), had their parties placed fifth and sixth respectively.

Shay, a qualified civil engineer, said he was honoured that the community of ward 72 chose him to represent it in council and assist it in making the ward better. “It’s nerve wracking because the task ahead is great,” he says. “But at the same time, I’m happy to be involved.”

His first plan is to contact and start establishing relationships with all city officials responsible for the ward. “I will also start communicating with residents on a regular basis. After that, I will be looking at the means of ensuring that we can hold officials to account and make sure the word works. I’ve got many, many plans that I’ve come up with, and look forward to implementing them.”

Jowell won the Cape Town-based ward 54, which includes Camps Bay, Clifton, and Sea Point. Jowell, who joined the DA in 2011, and Paul Jacobson, the FFP’s candidate for the ward, both confirmed she had won the ward even though the official vote count for the ward hadn’t been released at the time of going to print.

Jowell is thankful for the support of the community of the Atlantic Seaboard, which she sees as a resounding endorsement of the work she has done as ward councillor over the past two years.

“There’s so much more to do. I’m eager for the electoral process to be concluded, to be sworn in again, and for the council to be reconstituted so we can get up and running at full steam,” she said. “It has been a gruelling election period, and I encourage the many candidates who took part in the election to join forces and work in partnership with existing organisations in the ward for the benefit of everyone.”

She will start her new term by doing an audit of the basics that need attention in the ward. “I start each year this way. It’s important to do this again as we refocus.”

Jowell plans to meet the new mayoral committee member for community services to address the concern about the number of homeless people in the area.

“Amplifying interventions to create options off the streets and long-term solutions is urgent,” she says. “This conversation needs to include the provincial political leadership. We will also restart our social development forum and need to ensure that we are sitting around the table with all role-players working towards assisting the homeless off the streets.”

Jowell says it’s essential to ensure that adequate safety plans are in place for the upcoming festive season, but just as crucial is to meet law enforcement chiefs to push for additional resources in the area.

“We also need to galvanise the community to comment and have their voices heard in respect of the public-participation process around changing the off-street parking requirements for new developments in the area.”

She identifies that as a pivotal issue in the ward, and believes the community must make its voice heard.

“There is much to be done, and we have built many bridges over the past two years between the community, ratepayers association and organisations, and this needs to continue. Partnering and amplifying the public-private partnership is key to addressing many of the long-term concerns of residents.”

On his Facebook page, Jacobson congratulated Jowell and said he had given everything he could over the past six years. “I need to now start giving a bit of time to my family and business which I have neglected in favour of community work,” he said. “So, with respect, it reached a pinnacle during this election time and there was never a possibility that I could win the ward, but what I could do was get proportional representation in council where people can affect change realistically.”

On his Twitter page, Tyrell Meyers of the DA thanked voters for electing him as councillor for ward 23 in Johannesburg.

The TimesLive database also published the results of two other Jewish candidates. Dave Fischer, who had been the DA councillor for ward 74 in Johannesburg over the past five years, ran as an independent candidate this year and came second with 26.9% of votes for the ward. The DA’s Belinda Kayser Echeozonjoku won that ward.