DA claims historic KZN council victory

If you want hope you have got to change and if you want change you have to use the ballot — and the residents of uMngeni have demonstrated that they want change, hope and they want a party that gets things done. 

This was the reaction of the DA in KwaZulu-Natal after the news that they had claimed a historic win with an outright victory for the first time in a KZN municipality. 

Residents of uMngeni municipality in the KZN Midlands — which includes Hilton, Merrivale, Howick and Mpophomeni — elected the DA to govern.

Reacting to the victory, provincial leader Francois Rogers said the DA was elated and ready to hit the ground running. 

“The DA is delighted with the results, we have been saying for some time during this campaign that we are confident we will take the uMngeni municipality away from the ANC. Clearly the people of uMngeni have spoken, they are tired of corruption, poor service delivery and they are tired of a failed ANC,” said Rogers. 

With effect immediately mayor elect Chris Pappas will take charge of the municipality.

Rogers said where the DA governs the party governs well and that the party will use its local government blueprint to “turn around uMngeni”. 

“We look forward to turning things around in that municipality — into an effective municipality that focuses its attention on service delivery and ensuring that people live in an environment where potholes are repaired and street lights are repaired, refuse is removed and that there is a constant supply of water,” said Rogers.

The victory, according to Rogers, gives the DA in KZN an opportunity to be able to prove to the rest of the province that “where we govern we indeed govern well”.

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