Ward 73 was painted blue and white last night when the results of the by-election announced 27-year-old Daniel Mea of the Democratic Alliance (DA) as the ward’s newly-elected councillor.
Mea, who is a native of Montford which falls under Ward 73 in Chatsworth, is the youngest elected councillor in eThekwini Municipality and hopes that he can bring about positive change in the community that raised him.
On Wednesday, 24 May, residents of Ward 73 made their way to their respective voting stations to cast their votes. Arena Park Secondary, Meadowlands Secondary, Witteklip Secondary, Risecliff Secondary, Sunbeam Primary, Sunnyvale Primary, Belvedere Primary, Crestview Primary and Astra Primary schools were used as stations during this election.
After a long day of voting and hours of counting ballots, the DA emerged victorious, scooping 3 486 votes and winning by 81.74%.
Following them was the African National Congress (ANC) who garnered only 753 votes, accounting for 17.66%, followed by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) who managed to get just 26 votes in the by-election.
DA KwaZulu-Natal leader, Francois Rodgers, said that the DA in KZN is humbled and elated by the trust that residents continue to have in them.
“The party retained Ward 73 of eThekwini by an increased majority in the by-election. The DA received 81.7% in support, an increase from 67.5% in the 2021 elections,” he said.
