The recently formed African Transformation Movement (ATM) has made an impressive electoral debut.
Underlining the party’s intention to make its mark at the May 8 elections, the ATM outclassed both the UDM and EFF by securing the second-highest number of votes in a by-election in Ngqeleni.
The ruling party retained ward 21 with a landslide victory, scooping 1,073 votes which is 65.27% of the total votes.
But the new kid on the block, ATM, won 498 votes, which translates into 30.29% of votes cast, followed by the EFF at 2.62% with 43 votes and UDM at 1.82% (30 votes).
By-elections are notorious for low percentage turnouts and are usually indicators of the capacity of parties to mobilise supporters. They are also regarded by analysts as being indicative of voter sentiment.
ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi said they were happy the people of the ward had retained confidence in the party. “By their nature ward-based elections are based on the organisation and the individual candidate. The 43% voter turnout is what we’re concerned about,” he said.
An elated ATM provincial chair, Veliswa Mvenya, said the by-election was just a test run by the party and the ANC should not be over-celebratory because it would be in for a surprise come May 8.
“We wanted to show voters that we are here. This was our ‘hello we are here’,” she said.
“Come 8 May we are taking the Eastern Cape. People will be in for a big surprise. These results have given us more strength,” Mvenya said.
“This shows that we are serious about what we are saying; we are serious about the peace revolution that we are preaching.”
Asked if the party should not have managed to win the election, given that its founder, chief apostle, Professor Caesar Nongqunga, lives there, Mvenya said the ward was in fact not a church stronghold.
The ATM said it intended lodging a complaint with the IEC over what it claimed were some “dodgy” discrepancies and “cheating” by the ANC.
In a statement released on Thursday, the party listed a several allegations including that its observers had been prevented from entering one of the voting stations for about an hour; a ballot box containing marked ballot papers was discovered; the voters roll included the names of dead people and several people voted three times.
Ngcukayitobi said the ATM should not be a “crybaby” as the elections had provided it with an opportunity to test itself in the home base of its spiritual father and founder.
“People reaffirmed the ANC and rejected the ATM and other organisations that contested and we appreciate and thank the voters for their affirmation. We hope the losers can be humble enough and accept the voice of democracy.”..