If the political views of people visiting East London’s main shopping malls are anything to go by, then the ANC will retain control of Buffalo City Metro after Wednesday’s local government elections.
This is according to a snap survey conducted by the Daily Dispatch at three malls at the weekend.
The survey, by the newspaper’s political desk, indicates that despite the ruling party’s woes in the region, it still commands a slight majority in the area.
Of 300 respondents polled during the random survey at Gilwell Shopping centre in the CBD, Mdantsane City Mall and Hemingways Mall, 50.3% indicated they would vote for the ANC.
According to the survey, the overall percentages per party are:
- ANC 50.3%;
- DA 19%;
- EFF 9.6%;
- Undecided 17%; and
- Other 4%.
During the 2011 local government elections the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) recorded 385 982 registered voters in BCM, of which only 56.5% turned out on election day.
The ANC received an overwhelming majority of about 70%, with the official opposition, the DA, garnering 20%.
But in 2014 the ANC scooped 67% in BCM and the DA 19%.
Projections were that the ANC would drop further in this election, while retaining control of the municipality. Interestingly, the outcome of the DD poll reflects the DA’s 2014 results exactly.
The ANC is not expected to experience any major challenges in municipalities in the eastern half of the province – including King Sabata Dalindyebo and the OR Tambo district.
Its major threat is in Nelson Mandela Bay, where a DA-led coalition could unseat them.
The data collected by the Dispatch team also reflected a trend of voting along racial lines. The overwhelming majority of white respondents indicated they would vote for the DA, while black respondents were split between the ANC and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).
However, further analysis shows that at Hemingways more black respondents than at the other malls preferred the DA, suggesting that the opposition party was attracting some sections of the black middle class.
This is in contrast to black respondents at the Gilwell and Mdantsane malls, who favoured the ANC and the EFF.
A further breakdown of the figures indicates that of the 100 Hemingways respondents, 46 would vote for the DA and 28 for the ANC. Only three opted for the EFF and 19 were still undecided.
At Gilwell Mall of the 100 surveyed the ANC was favoured by 59, the EFF by 12 and the DA only six.
According to the recent Statistics South Africa census of BCM, out of a population of 755200 85% are black, 8% white and 6% coloured.
Support for the smaller parties – including the UDM, PAC, ACDP and independent candidates – was at only 4% among the respondents at the three malls.
What was unusual, though, was the high number of “undecided” voters – suggesting that either some voters were still not sure who to support in Wednesday’s election, or that some of them did not feel comfortable sharing their voting preferences.
The random nature of the survey did not take into account the demographic profile of voters in the area, which means that the final vote tally on election day might be significantly different from our survey.
Out of the 300 respondents only two said they would vote for an independent candidate. BCM has 24 independents vying for wards.
Of the 24, 14 are disgruntled ANC members who decided to go it alone after internal election list processes in the ruling party left them out in the cold.
The Eastern Cape has the second-highest number of independent candidates, with a total of 162. KwaZulu-Natal tops the list with 201.
The survey by the Dispatch also shows that respondents in the Mdantsane Mall gave the ANC an overwhelming majority.
Of the registered voters surveyed at the mall 64 said they would vote for the ANC, 14 for the EFF, and five for the DA, with 12 undecided.
Esther van Wyk, a sales consultant at a retail store in Gilwell Mall, said she would not be voting even though she was a registered voter. “All politicians do is make promises, but they never fulfil them,” she said. — siphem@dispatch.co.za
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Voters voice their choice
This is according to a snap survey conducted by the Daily Dispatch at three malls at the weekend.
The survey, by the newspaper’s political desk, indicates that despite the ruling party’s woes in the region, it still commands a slight majority in the area.
Of 300 respondents polled during the random survey at Gilwell Shopping centre in the CBD, Mdantsane City Mall and Hemingways Mall, 50.3% indicated they would vote for the ANC.
According to the survey, the overall percentages per party are:
During the 2011 local government elections the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) recorded 385 982 registered voters in BCM, of which only 56.5% turned out on election day.
The ANC received an overwhelming majority of about 70%, with the official opposition, the DA, garnering 20%.
But in 2014 the ANC scooped 67% in BCM and the DA 19%.
Projections were that the ANC would drop further in this election, while retaining control of the municipality. Interestingly, the outcome of the DD poll reflects the DA’s 2014 results exactly.
The ANC is not expected to experience any major challenges in municipalities in the eastern half of the province – including King Sabata Dalindyebo and the OR Tambo district.
Its major threat is in Nelson Mandela Bay, where a DA-led coalition could unseat them.
The data collected by the Dispatch team also reflected a trend of voting along racial lines. The overwhelming majority of white respondents indicated they would vote for the DA, while black respondents were split between the ANC and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).
However, further analysis shows that at Hemingways more black respondents than at the other malls preferred the DA, suggesting that the opposition party was attracting some sections of the black middle class.
This is in contrast to black respondents at the Gilwell and Mdantsane malls, who favoured the ANC and the EFF.
A further breakdown of the figures indicates that of the 100 Hemingways respondents, 46 would vote for the DA and 28 for the ANC. Only three opted for the EFF and 19 were still undecided.
At Gilwell Mall of the 100 surveyed the ANC was favoured by 59, the EFF by 12 and the DA only six.
According to the recent Statistics South Africa census of BCM, out of a population of 755200 85% are black, 8% white and 6% coloured.
Support for the smaller parties – including the UDM, PAC, ACDP and independent candidates – was at only 4% among the respondents at the three malls.
What was unusual, though, was the high number of “undecided” voters – suggesting that either some voters were still not sure who to support in Wednesday’s election, or that some of them did not feel comfortable sharing their voting preferences.
The random nature of the survey did not take into account the demographic profile of voters in the area, which means that the final vote tally on election day might be significantly different from our survey.
Out of the 300 respondents only two said they would vote for an independent candidate. BCM has 24 independents vying for wards.
Of the 24, 14 are disgruntled ANC members who decided to go it alone after internal election list processes in the ruling party left them out in the cold.
The Eastern Cape has the second-highest number of independent candidates, with a total of 162. KwaZulu-Natal tops the list with 201.
The survey by the Dispatch also shows that respondents in the Mdantsane Mall gave the ANC an overwhelming majority.
Of the registered voters surveyed at the mall 64 said they would vote for the ANC, 14 for the EFF, and five for the DA, with 12 undecided.
Esther van Wyk, a sales consultant at a retail store in Gilwell Mall, said she would not be voting even though she was a registered voter. “All politicians do is make promises, but they never fulfil them,” she said. — siphem@dispatch.co.za
lSee Page 7
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