The battle for Dr Beyers Naudé is on

GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - The battle for the Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality (DBNLM) comes to a head today. Hopefully voters in their hundreds, maybe thousands, will turn up to choose the party they want to control the municipality for the next five years.

The ruling ANC and the DA are the two heavyweights in the ring who will fight it out of control of the DBNLM but a lower voter turnout, as was predicted by analysts and political commentators, could throw a spanner in the works.

Don't be surprised if an independent candidate or two, or some of the smaller parties, like the VF+ - and new kid on the block and a thorn in the flesh of the ANC - the Service Delivery Movement (SDM) - spring a surprise.

Voting at most polling stations in Graaff-Reinet was relatively quiet except in Ward 2, where a long line of voters waited patiently to cast their votes. By early afternoon on Monday 1 November this was by far the busiest polling station by far.

At the other polling stations, especially in the townships, voting was slow. An ill wind blowing worsened matters.

Although DA member of parliament for Graaff-Reinet, Samantha Graham-Maré, was optimistic that they could take control of the DBNLM, pundits have predicted a political rollercoaster ride with not any particular party getting an outright win. This means coalitions between political parties could be on the cards.

Low voter turnout and the recent load shedding could cost the ANC outright victories in the key metros but in the smaller towns, like Graaff-Reinet, it remains to be seen whether electricity will be a huge issue.

Shortly after 07:00 a long line of voters were waiting at Te Waterkant in Bourke Street to cast their votes.