ANC Tshwane accepts defeat, prepares to be opposition

"We accept the outcome of the 2016 local government elections. Our people indicated that the ANC is perhaps not necessarily the choice of the majority of the people in this city to continue to be at the helm of the city," regional chairperson Kgosientso Ramokgopa told reporters in Pretoria on Thursday.

"Equally the votes indicate that our people never stated who their choice is, that is, there is no one who got an outright majority. It is for this reason that the opposition has found it appropriate to enter into coalition agreements with other parties to ensure they are able to register a simple majority in the council."

"We are going to respect the will of our people and we think that this is an opportunity to accelerate the renewal process of the ANC. Our ability to be in constant touch with the masses, ensures that we collectively express and resolve the challenges that get to confront our people on a daily basis," he said.

Ramokgopa gave praise to those who decided against voting and said while those people did not vote for the ANC they also did not want to give their votes to another political party. He added that the feedback that was received on the election campaign trail would be taken into account.

"We have heard the message loud and clear to say indeed at the local level we need our elected representative to stay with us in the wards. We need our elected representatives to call community meetings to listen to our grievances and initiate interventions to resolve these challenges. When we report street lights, potholes we need people to respond promptly and we have listened to this message," he said.

News24