Editing Bitou Local Municipality (section)

== Politics ==
{{main|Bitou Local Municipality elections}}
{{Politics of Western Cape}}
The municipal council consists of thirteen members elected by [[mixed-member proportional representation]]. Seven councillors are elected by [[first-past-the-post voting]] in seven [[ward (South Africa)|wards]], while the remaining six are chosen from [[party list]]s so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received. In the [[South African municipal election, 2011|election of 18 May 2011]] no party obtained a majority; the [[Democratic Alliance (South Africa)|Democratic Alliance]] (DA) and the [[African National Congress]] (ANC) won six seats each, with the remaining seat going to the [[Congress of the People (South African political party)|Congress of the People]] (COPE). The DA and COPE formed a coalition to govern the municipality.<ref name=comp>{{cite web |url=http://www.westerncape.gov.za/other/2012/8/political_composition_of_councils_august_2012.pdf |title=Political composition of councils |date=August 2012 |publisher=Western Cape Department of Local Government |access-date=17 August 2012}}</ref>

The DA won a ward from the ANC in a by-election held in 2014, and governed Bitou alone with an outright majority of seats on the council.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/important-win-for-da-in-plett-by-election-1.1753127|title='Important' win for DA in Plett by-election|work=Independent Online|access-date=2017-05-13|language=en}}</ref>

A hung council was elected following the 2016 municipal elections, with the DA and ANC each winning six seats, and the final seat going to the [[Active United Front]] (AUF). The AUF chose to join forces with the ANC. However, six months later, in April 2017, the AUF announced that the partnership had fallen apart because the ANC had frustrated attempts to establish clean administration, had failed to commit resources to address problems, had not implemented the coalition agreement, and had not signed the agreed-upon service delivery plan. The DA and AUF negotiated for a month, following which the DA gained control of the municipality.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://citizen.co.za/news/news-national/1512917/anc-booted-in-bitou-municipality-da-takes-over/|title=ANC booted in Bitou municipality, DA takes over|date=2017-05-13|work=The Citizen|access-date=2017-05-13|language=en|archive-date=2017-05-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170516173143/http://citizen.co.za/news/news-national/1512917/anc-booted-in-bitou-municipality-da-takes-over/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The relationship between the DA and AUF quickly sourced and the AUF was back with the ANC a year later. In April 2021, AUF mayor Peter Lobese was ousted in a motion of no confidence and deputy mayor Sandiso Gcabayi of the ANC became acting mayor.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Plett's new mayor to prioritise cost-cuts, service delivery|url=https://www.knysnaplettherald.com/News/Article/General/www.knysnaplettherald.com/News/Article/General/plett-s-new-mayor-to-prioritise-cost-cuts-service-delivery-202104220451|access-date=2021-11-19|website=Knysna-Plett Herald}}</ref> DA Caucus Leader Bill Nel was elected mayor in May 2021, toppling the ANC-led coalition.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bitou has new mayor|url=https://www.knysnaplettherald.com/News/Article/Politics/www.knysnaplettherald.com/News/Article/Politics/bitou-has-new-mayor-202105210834|access-date=2021-11-19|website=Knysna-Plett Herald}}</ref> The ANC then challenged the election of Bill Nel and the Western Cape High Court declared his election [[null and void]] and declared that a new mayor should be elected on 8 June. However, on 8 June, this did not happen. ANC speaker Euan Wildeman suspended Lobese, which made ineligible to cast a vote for mayor, leading to a split vote between the DA's Nel and the ANC's Gcabayi. The DA then approached the High Court, requesting that Lobese's suspension be declared unlawful. the High Court sided with the DA and declared Lobese's unlawful, which made it null and void. The High Court also ordered the speaker to convene a council meeting for 9 July.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bitou ordered to select mayor|url=https://www.knysnaplettherald.com/News/Article/General/www.knysnaplettherald.com/News/Article/General/bitou-ordered-to-select-mayor-202107080203|access-date=2021-11-19|website=Knysna-Plett Herald}}</ref>  The meeting was then delayed as the ANC councillors appealed the High Court's decision.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fresh twist in battle leaves Bitou muni still rudderless|url=https://www.knysnaplettherald.com/News/Article/General/www.knysnaplettherald.com/News/Article/General/fresh-twist-in-battle-leaves-bitou-muni-still-rudderless-202107150901|access-date=2021-11-19|website=Knysna-Plett Herald}}</ref> On 10 September, the High Court overturned its initial decision to declare the suspension of Lobese's council membership unlawful.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Court orders Lobese's suspension|url=https://www.knysnaplettherald.com/News/Article/Politics/www.knysnaplettherald.com/News/Article/Politics/court-orders-lobese-s-suspension-202109150917|access-date=2021-11-19|website=Knysna-Plett Herald}}</ref>

In the November 2021 local government elections, a hung council was once again elected. The DA won five out of the thirteen seats, the ANC won four, the Ikhwezi Political Movement (IPM), the Patriotic Alliance (PA), the PDC and the Active United Front (AUF) all won one seat. The DA then formed a coalition with the PDC and AUF to govern the municipality with the DA mayoral candidate, Dave Swart, voted in as mayor.<ref>{{Cite web|title=New Bitou mayor and speaker elected|url=https://www.knysnaplettherald.com/News/Article/Politics/www.knysnaplettherald.com/News/Article/Politics/new-bitou-mayor-and-speaker-elected-202111181114|access-date=2021-11-19|website=Knysna-Plett Herald}}</ref>

The following table shows the results of the 2021 election.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Election Result Table for LGE2021 — Bitou|url=https://wikitable.frith.dev/lge2021/WC047/short|access-date=2021-11-08|website=wikitable.frith.dev}}</ref>
{| class=wikitable style="text-align:right"
!colspan="9" align="center"| Bitou local election, 1 November 2021
|-
!rowspan="2" colspan="2"| Party !!colspan="4" align="center"| Votes !!colspan="3" align="center"| Seats
|-
! Ward !! List !! Total !! % !! Ward !! List !! Total
|-
| {{Full party name with color |Democratic Alliance (South Africa)}}
| 7,914 || 7,921 || 15,835 || 40.4% || 3 || 2 || 5
|-
| {{Full party name with color |African National Congress}}
| 5,685 || 5,726 || 11,411 || 29.1% || 3 || 1 || 4
|-
| {{Full party name with color |Active United Front}}
| 1,806 || 1,738 || 3,544 || 9.0% || 0 || 1 || 1
|-
| {{Full party name with color |Plett Democratic Congress}}
| 1,335 || 1,219 || 2,554 || 6.5% || 1 || 0 || 1
|-
| {{Full party name with color |Patriotic Alliance (South Africa)}}
| 1,125 || 1,118 || 2,243 || 5.7% || 0 || 1 || 1
|-
| {{Full party name with color |Ikhwezi Political Movement}}
| 610 || 645 || 1,255 || 3.2% || 0 || 1 || 1
|-
| ||style="text-align:left"| 12 other parties
| 1,202 || 1,189 || 2,391 || 6.1% || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
|colspan="2" style="text-align:left"| '''Total'''
| '''19,677''' || '''19,556''' || '''39,233''' ||  || '''7''' || '''6''' || '''13'''
|-
|colspan="9"|
|-
|colspan="2" style="text-align:left"| Valid votes
| 19,677 || 19,556 || 39,233 || 98.9%
|-
|colspan="2" style="text-align:left"| [[Spoilt vote]]s
| 207 || 219 || 426 || 1.1%
|-
|colspan="2" style="text-align:left"| '''Total votes cast'''
| '''19,884''' || '''19,775''' || '''39,659''' ||
|-
|colspan="6"|
|-
|colspan="2" style="text-align:left"| Voter turnout
| 19,902
|-
|colspan="2" style="text-align:left"| Registered voters
| 30,863
|-
|colspan="2" style="text-align:left"| Turnout percentage
| 64.5%
|}