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The DA has won the Ward 14 by-election in George by a huge majority, increasing its support from 43% in 2011 to more than 63% this year after securing 1 418 votes.
Interestingly local party the Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners (PBI) trumped the ANC, receiving 403 votes to the ANC's 302, in Wednesday's polling.
DA Western Cape spokesman Liza Albrecht told Algoa FM that the result was a vote of confidence in ward winner Clareen Remas and the DA, which the party has governed in George with an absolute majority since 2011.
"The result is very important for us, especially since there are seven by-elections coming up in the Southern Cape on August 7. This is a strong indicator that we will do equally as well in those," she said.
The result suggests the DA is growing at the expense of the ANC and that traditional ANC supporters are increasingly finding a home in the DA."
However Albrecht also applauded the efforts of the PBI.
"The DA truly welcomes entrance of smaller parties into politics, and it is good to see them doing well. In a democracy you should have other candidates competing for votes, and especially at local level they can be effective."
