Cape Town - Parties in the Western Cape should strive towards becoming political opponents rather than political enemies, Democratic Alliance Western Cape leader Ivan Meyer said on Friday.
“During an election, political temperatures are usually high. After the results are known we must all come down from our thrones and realise that we are all South Africans,” Meyer said.
He called for unity, saying a spirit of co-operation was needed after the fiery pre-election battles marked by mudslinging.
“We must now work together in the spirit of co-operation and in the interests of our young and fragile democracy.
“May this election be the beginning of the end of confrontational politics in the Western Cape towards constructive yet critical dialogue in the interests of all citizens...” Meyer said.
The DA will govern the Western Cape for the next five years after vote counting in the province was completed on Friday.
“There are no issues that concern the auditors. All the results slips are accounted for,” Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) provincial electoral officer Courtney Sampson said earlier while announcing the provisional results.
The final count showed the DA winning 59.2 percent of the provincial vote, followed by the African National Congress with 33.04 percent support.
The Economic Freedom Fighters is now the third largest party in the province with 2.11 percent of the vote.
The African Christian Democratic Party's support dropped to 1.03 percent.
The Congress of the People is unlikely to have any representation in the Western Cape legislature after slipping to 0.59 percent.
Al Jama-ah garnered 0.62 percent of the vote, and might get a seat in the legislature.
While this is the final count, the seat tally for the legislature will only be officially announced on Saturday.
“I do not have the authority, and this is not a declaration of results. The commission will officially announce the election results tomorrow, probably in Pretoria,” said Sampson.
According the early calculations, the DA will get 25 seats, the ANC 14, and the EFF one.
Sapa