PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - The DA is busy preparing heads of argument after having been given leave to appeal against the local government election results in Bitou.

The party's legal team is demanding a recount after claims of major discrepancies with the recording of votes especially in one of the coastal holiday town’s wards.

The results released following the August 3 elections revealed that the while the DA received the majority of votes, it was not enough to secure the party outright majority. The DA received 48.58% of the votes which gave the party six seats in council

The ANC received 40.99% of the support, also giving it six seats, while the Active United Front (AUF) managed 5.36% of the votes for the final seat.

The ANC and the AUF have since formed a coalition to lead the municipality.

On August 5, 2016 the DA lodged a dispute with the IEC over claims that there were issues with the calculation and recording of the votes.

Despite the complaint, the results were declared by the IEC the next day which showed that the DA had lost its seventh seat by a mere 21 seats.

Western Cape MEC for public works and transport Donald Grant said that on August 11 the party’s lawyers sent the IEC an official objection against the declaration of the results in terms of Section 65 of the Municipal Electoral Act. This objection has been received by the IEC.

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