Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says the DA is not resting on its laurels ahead of the upcoming local government elections, amid strong competition from other political parties.

Speaking at the Cape Town Press Club at Kelvin Grove yesterday, mainly to highlight the progress the City has made over the last 4 and a half years, and plans for the future, Hill-Lewis acknowledged that this November’s local polls will be fiercely contested.

In response to a question from the media, he singled out a particular party that has made its mark among residents.

“We do have a proper fight on our hands with the Patriotic Alliance. The competition itself does not surprise me, there is absolutely no industry that isn’t competitive, and competition is actually good. And that is why we don’t take anything for granted in Cape Town. It might have been the case that last time we had a healthy majority, round about 58%, but we absolutely cannot take that for granted.”

Hill-Lewis says the DA knows it will have to fight for every single vote, despite the clear progress made in the City under the DA’s rule.

“That is why we are putting such an effort into the registration campaign for example, because we know that there are a 100,000 families that have moved here from Gauteng, we know that most of them have moved here because it is a functional, successful City, but they are mostly still incorrectly registered in Gauteng.”

Hill-Lewis said the figure of 100,000 families migrating to Cape Town over the past three years was based on real data collected by the City.

As the DA ups the ante on getting as many people as possible registered to vote, the Patriotic Alliance has continued to generate strong turnout enthusiasm in recent by-elections.

Earlier in June, the PA retained Ward 11 (Malmesbury Wesbank) in the Swartland Municipality, increasing its majority to 53% (up form 40% in 2021)

In late April, the PA shocked the DA in Ward 15 (Cloetesville), Stellenbosch, by winning 39% of the vote, while the DA managed 31% of the vote (down from 48% in 2021).

Hill-Lewis says he is prepared for the challenge.

He outlined five key priorities, which, should he be re-elected as Cape Town Mayor, he will spearhead and champion for the next term: Stronger policing, faster economic growth, reliable and affordable basic services, more affordable accommodation and cleaner public spaces.

Putting on his DA Leader hat, Hill-Lewis argued that Cape Town’s progress should not be viewed in isolation, but that it should serve as a model for the rest of South Africa.