DA feeling heat in WC after losing two wards in George by-elections to PA

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is feeling the election heat in the Western Cape after the Patriotic Alliance (PA) on Thursday snatched two wards from the party in by-elections in George.

Leader John Steenhuisen said he’s very concerned by his party losing ground there and will ask the party’s federal executive to study the factors behind the surge of the PA in the province.

The by-elections in the Garden Route town were prompted by three DA councillors leaving the party in 2025.

Another by-election will be in George in February.

Following its by-election loss in George, the DA has 25 of the council’s 55 seats and not enough to govern without the help of the Freedom Front (FF) Plus and the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP).

READ: PA snatches two George wards from DA in latest by-elections

Steenhuisen was on the ground there on Monday to consolidate its support base, but it did not go as planned.

“We have to ask why in a province that we govern, in municipalities where we govern, are people voting for other parties. We were able to see off the PA in the Eastern Cape. We were able to see off the PA in Gauteng. What is it that’s unique to the Western Cape that’s holding us back from holding the tide there?”

With the PA shoring up support mostly in rural areas, Steenhuisen notes that so far, the DA has been able to stave off the green wave in its Cape Town metro stronghold.

“I think there’s a phenomenon there, and I’m very worried. There are municipalities where we govern in the east and west regions that are at risk, and we had better get to the bottom of it as a party.”

Despite this week’s by-election loss, Steenhuisen believes the mini poll is not a true barometer of the state of play and that the party has still performed well in by-elections elsewhere in the country.