The Democratic Alliance (DA) retained Ward 21 after winning last week’s by-election with 92.08% of the votes, although only 20.55% of registered voters in the area pitched up to the voting stations.
The ward stretches across Durbanville, Durbanville Hills, Sonstrtaal Heights and Stellenberg.
Newly elected ward councillor Mr Hendri Terblanche blamed the low turn-out on bad timing.
Mr Terblanche said: “I am very grateful for everybody who came to the polls and voted on the day (Wednesday June 19) and especially for those who voted to put myself in this position. In terms of the low numbers, I think it was just due to the fact that it came after a long weekend, and the schools had just closed the week before so people might have been on holiday. Also, if you were to compare the by-election to the national election, then you have to take into account the fact that the national election was a public holiday whereas the by-election happened on a regular working day.”
But Lauren Bernardo, leader of the newly founded Organic Humanity Movement (OHM), believes voters stayed home for a different reason.
Ms Bernardo said: “People have lost hope in politics. There is no motivation for them to go out and vote as nothing ever changes. I just wish the OHM knew about the by-election sooner so that we could have campaigned earlier.”