2024 Western Cape provincial election
{{Short description|none}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 2024 Western Cape provincial election
| country = South Africa
| type = parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 2019 Western Cape provincial election
| previous_year = 2019
| next_election = 2029 Western Cape provincial election
| next_year = 2029
| seats_for_election = All 42 seats to the Western Cape Provincial Parliament
22 seats needed for a majority
| election_date = 29 May 2024
| turnout =
| image1 = x170px
| candidate1 = Alan Winde
| party1 = Democratic Alliance (South Africa)
| last_election1 = 55.45%
| seats_before1 = 24
| seats1 = 24
| seat_change1 = {{nochange}} 0
| popular_vote1 = 1,088,423
| percentage1 = 55.30%
| swing1 = {{decrease}} 0.15%
| image2 = x170px
| candidate2 = Cameron Dugmore
| party2 = African National Congress
| last_election2 = 28.64%
| seats_before2 = 12
| seats2 = 8
| seat_change2 = {{decrease}} 4
| popular_vote2 = 384,853
| percentage2 = 19.55%
| swing2 = {{decrease}} 9.09%
| image3 =
| candidate3 = Gayton McKenzie
| party3 = Patriotic Alliance
| last_election3 = (Did not contest)
| seats_before3 = 0
| seats3 = 3
| seat_change3 = {{increase}} 3
| popular_vote3 = 153,607
| percentage3 = 7.80%
| swing3 = {{increase}} 7.80%
| image4 = x170px
| candidate4 = Aishah Cassiem
| party4 = Economic Freedom Fighters
| last_election4 = 4.04%
| seats_before4 = 2
| seats4 = 2
| seat_change4 = {{nochange}} 0
| popular_vote4 = 104,354
| percentage4 = 5.30%
| swing4 = {{increase}} 1.26%
| image5 =
| candidate5 = Fadiel Adams
| party5 = National Coloured Congress
| last_election5 = (Did not contest)
| seats_before5 = 0
| seats5 = 1
| seat_change5 = {{increase}} 1
| popular_vote5 = 46,770
| percentage5 = 2.38%
| swing5 = {{increase}} 2.28%
| image6 = x170px
| candidate6 = Corné Mulder
| party6 = Freedom Front Plus
| last_election6 = (Did not contest)
| seats_before6 = 1
| seats6 = 1
| seat_change6 = {{nochange}} 0
| popular_vote6 = 28,471
| percentage6 = 1.45%
| swing6 = {{decrease}} 0.11%
| map_image = South-africa-western-cape-2024-municipal.svg
| map_size = 320px
| map_caption = Results by municipality{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
DA
{{legend|#A5B0FF|40 – 50%}}
{{legend|#7996E2|50 – 60%}}
{{legend|#6674DE|60 – 70%}}
{{col-end}}
| title = Premier
| before_election = Alan Winde
| before_party = Democratic Alliance
| after_election = Alan Winde
| after_party = Democratic Alliance
}}
The 2024 Western Cape provincial election was held on 29 May 2024, concurrently with the 2024 South African general election, to elect the 42 members of the 7th Western Cape Provincial Parliament.
Background
{{Main|2019 Western Cape provincial election}}
The previous provincial election was won by the ruling Democratic Alliance (DA), but with a reduced majority of 55.45%, down from 59.38% in the 2014 election. The party lost two seats and achieved a majority of 24 seats in the legislature. The Official Opposition African National Congress (ANC) declined from 32.89% to 28.64%, and also lost two seats. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) significantly grew, going from 2.11% to 4.04%, and, consequently, gained one seat. The newly-formed Good received 3.11% of the vote and won a seat. The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) grew to 2.66% and retained its sole seat. The Freedom Front Plus (FF+) and Al Jama-ah also won one seat each.
Issues
= Devolution of policing =
Over the last term of government, the devolution of policing power has become a key issue between the Western Cape Government and the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele.{{Cite web |last=Charles |first=Marvin |title=Cele says Western Cape govt's demand for devolution of police powers is just 'a lot of noise' |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/cele-says-western-cape-govts-demand-for-devolution-of-police-powers-is-just-a-lot-of-noise-20220804 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240103190923/https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/cele-says-western-cape-govts-demand-for-devolution-of-police-powers-is-just-a-lot-of-noise-20220804 |archive-date=3 January 2024 |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=News24 |language=en-US}} The Western Cape Government argues that the Minister has the power to devolve policing, but the Minister denies having the power of devolution, saying that "the centralisation of the SAPS [is] in line with the Department [of Police's] constitutional mandate to prevent, combat and investigate crime..."{{Cite web |last=Sokutu |first=Brian |date=2021-09-10 |title=Battle over devolution of Saps continues |url=https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/battle-over-devolution-of-saps/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240103195510/https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/battle-over-devolution-of-saps/ |archive-date=3 January 2024 |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=The Citizen |language=en}} Section 205 of the Constitution of South Africa sets out policing policy in South Africa, noting that the police service "must be structured to function in national [and] provincial...spheres of government."Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1997. Available at: https://www.justice.gov.za/legislation/constitution/saconstitution-web-eng.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204163401/https://www.justice.gov.za/legislation/constitution/SAconstitution-web-eng.pdf|date=4 December 2023}}. Accessed on 03 January 2024. The Constitution gives provincial executives the power to monitor police conduct within their respective provinces, as well as the responsibility for policing functions in three cases; namely Chapter 11 of the Constitution, assigned to provincial government in terms of national legislation and allocated to it in national policing policy.
= The African Growth and Opportunity Act =
The Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde and a Western Cape Government delegation made a trip to the United States to detail the possible impact that a loss of preferential access to the U.S. market through the African Growth and Opportunity Act would have on the agricultural industry in the province, largely in response to increased U.S. scrutiny over the South African government's increased military co-operation with Russia and China and potential co-operation with Iran.{{Cite web |last=Fabricius |first=Peter |date=2023-11-03 |title=S Africa's links with Hamas and Iran pose new threat to Agoa |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-11-03-s-africas-links-with-hamas-and-iran-pose-new-threat-to-agoa/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209032418/https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-11-03-s-africas-links-with-hamas-and-iran-pose-new-threat-to-agoa/ |archive-date=9 December 2023 |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Premier Winde pushes for SA's AGOA's reauthorisation in US visit |url=https://www.westerncape.gov.za/news/premier-winde-pushes-sa%E2%80%99s-agoa%E2%80%99s-reauthorisation-us-visit |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240226123141/https://www.westerncape.gov.za/news/premier-winde-pushes-sa%E2%80%99s-agoa%E2%80%99s-reauthorisation-us-visit |archive-date=26 February 2024 |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=Western Cape Government |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2023-02-23 |title=Exercise MOSI II underway in South Africa |url=https://www.military.africa/2023/02/exercise-mosi-ii-underway-in-south-africa/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230929024652/https://www.military.africa/2023/02/exercise-mosi-ii-underway-in-south-africa/ |archive-date=29 September 2023 |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=Military Africa |language=en-US}} The Leader of the Opposition in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, Cameron Dugmore (ANC) accused the provincial government of wasting taxpayer's money, saying "this trip was about the DA's desperation to secure support for the 2024 elections by creating a certain narrative about this matter".{{Cite web |last=Maqhina |first=Mayibongwe |date=20 June 2023 |title=Winde's office tight-lipped on cost of US trip to 'save' Agoa |url=https://www.iol.co.za/capetimes/news/windes-office-tight-lipped-on-cost-of-us-trip-to-save-agoa-0a34798d-13d4-4666-bd17-10e5504629c4 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629080733/https://www.iol.co.za/capetimes/news/windes-office-tight-lipped-on-cost-of-us-trip-to-save-agoa-0a34798d-13d4-4666-bd17-10e5504629c4 |archive-date=29 June 2023 |access-date=10 February 2024 |website=IOL}}
= Cape independence =
The Freedom Front Plus and the Referendum Party contested the election with Cape independence as part of their platform. The Referendum Party was formed in November 2023 as a single-issue political party aiming to pressure the Western Cape Democratic Alliance government into holding a referendum on Western Cape independence as part of any potential coalition agreement.{{Cite web |date=2023-11-26 |title=Challenging political norms: Referendum Party versus DA in the Western Cape |url=https://www.biznews.com/rational-perspective/2023/11/26/referendum-party-vs-da-western-cape |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231210609/https://www.biznews.com/rational-perspective/2023/11/26/referendum-party-vs-da-western-cape |archive-date=31 December 2023 |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=BizNews |language=en}} The Cape Independence Party, which had contested in 2009 and 2019, did not make it on to the national ballot or the Western Cape provincial ballot, while the Referendum Party made it on to all three.{{Cite web |date=4 February 2022 |title=Self-determination is the issue of the year in the Western Cape |url=https://mg.co.za/thought-leader/opinion/2022-02-04-self-determination-is-the-issue-of-the-year-in-the-western-cape/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240104080235/https://mg.co.za/thought-leader/opinion/2022-02-04-self-determination-is-the-issue-of-the-year-in-the-western-cape/ |archive-date=4 January 2024 |access-date=2024-01-04}}{{Cite web |last=Bourdin |first=Julie |title=CapeXit? Separatists Bid To Split South Africa |url=https://www.barrons.com/news/capexit-separatists-bid-to-split-south-africa-0f74913f |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502150746/https://www.barrons.com/news/capexit-separatists-bid-to-split-south-africa-0f74913f |archive-date=2 May 2024 |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=Barron's |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=CapeXit – Own your future {{!}} Besit jou toekoms |url=https://capexit.org/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240420201941/https://capexit.org/ |archive-date=20 April 2024 |access-date=2024-05-02 |language=en-US}}
Results
{{Election results|image=|party1=Democratic Alliance|votes1=1088423|sw1=–0.1|seats1=24|sc1=0|party2=African National Congress|votes2=384853|sw2=–9.1|seats2=8|sc2=–4|party3=Patriotic Alliance|votes3=153607|sw3=New|seats3=3|sc3=New|party4=Economic Freedom Fighters|votes4=104354|sw4= +1.3|seats4=2|sc4=0|party5=National Coloured Congress|votes5=46770|sw5=New|seats5=1|sc5=New|party6=Freedom Front Plus|votes6=28471|sw6= -0.1|seats6=1|sc6=0|party7=Al Jama-ah|votes7=25537|sw7= +0.4|seats7=1|sc7=0|party8=African Christian Democratic Party|votes8=25363|sw8= -1.4|seats8=1|sc8=0|party9=Good|votes9=22207|sw9=-1.9|seats9=1|sc9=0|party10=uMkhonto we Sizwe|votes10=11263|sw10=New|seats10=0|sc10=New|party11=Rise Mzansi|votes11=9954|sw11=New|seats11=0|sc11=New|party12=Africa Restoration Alliance|votes12=8318|sw12=New|seats12=0|sc12=New|party13=Build One South Africa|votes13=8028|sw13=New|seats13=0|sc13=New|party14=Pan Africanist Congress|votes14=6151|sw14=+0.1|seats14=0|sc14=0|party15=United Democratic Movement|votes15=5933|sw15=0|seats15=0|sc15=0|party16=ActionSA|votes16=5788|sw16=New|seats16=0|sc16=New|party17=African Transformation Movement|votes17=5581|sw17=0|seats17=0|sc17=0|party18=Referendum Party|votes18=5110|sw18=New|seats18=0|sc18=New|party19=People's Movement for Change|votes19=5074|sw19=New|seats19=0|sc19=New|invalid=14874|party20=Allied Movement for Change|votes20=5065|sw20=New|seats20=0|sc20=New|party21=Allied of Citizens for Change|votes21=2430|sw21=New|seats21=0|sc21=New|electorate=3317072|source=[https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/elections-dashboard/ Daily Maverick] and [https://www.news24.com/news24/elections/map/pnpe?year=2024&level=prov&provid=9 News24]}}
Aftermath
The DA retained its majority, while the ANC lost four seats, with the Patriotic Alliance and the National Coloured Congress, both new parties, gaining seats at the expense of the ANC, and other incumbent parties retaining their share of seats from the previous Provincial Parliament. Winde was re-elected premier by a vote of 24-18.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}{{Elections in the Western Cape}}