Grant Pascoe
In 2021 the people of Cape Town voted for more voices in council. The Democratic Alliance walked away with 134 seats, enough for full control. The rest of the council, 97 seats spread across 17 parties, promised to hold the DA accountable. Four years later the DA has raised electricity, water and service charges every single year. The opposition has let it happen.
So What Were the Opposition Parties Doing Wrong?
The ANC, with 43 seats, should have been the backbone of opposition. Instead it has been weak. In January 2023, when council voted on budget changes, the ANC did not vote against the DA. It abstained. At the very moment residents needed a clear stand, the ANC went missing.
The EFF, with 10 seats, made noise but achieved little. It voted against DA adjustments in 2023, but beyond that it delivered no consistent campaign. Big speeches and walkouts did not stop higher bills.
GOOD came in promising fairness. What it delivered was confusion. In 2023 it voted with the DA “with concern.” In 2024 it voted against the DA budget. This back and forth has left voters asking which side GOOD is really on.
The Cape Coloured Congress and the Patriotic Alliance both opposed the DA in 2023 but soon faded. They did not build strong resistance despite holding a combined 12 seats.
The ACDP and the VF Plus are worse. With 10 seats between them, they often sided with the DA. Instead of fighting tariffs they gave the ruling party cover and allowed it to claim broad support.
The smaller parties have been invisible. Al Jama-ah, ARA, CapeXit, the Cape Muslim Congress, AIC, DIP, PAC, UDM and UIM together hold 12 seats. Only the AIC and PAC clearly opposed the DA in 2023. The rest either stayed silent, abstained, or sided with the DA. They promised fresh voices but became a rubber stamp.
ALSO READ: Help That Hurts – Cape Town Rebate System Failing Pensioners
The Verdict is Simple. The Opposition Has Failed
The ANC folded. The EFF shouted but did nothing. GOOD could not decide. The CCC and PA lost their fight. The ACDP and VF Plus helped the DA. The smaller parties vanished.
Cape Town pays more every year while the DA grows arrogant. The 2026 elections must not reward weak opposition. The City of Cape Town needs fighters, not seat warmers. It needs voices that stand with residents, not with the ruling party. Four years of failure cannot be rewarded with another five.
