Two brothers, two parties: DA's Ashwin Jansen takes Ward 56 from his brother
Two brothers went head-to-head in Cape Town's Ward 56 election. Now interim results show DA candidate Ashwin Jansen ahead of his Patriotic Alliance brother, Cheslyn Daniels.
Kabous Le Roux
Brother against brother: The DA's Ashwin Jansen and Patriotic Alliance's Cheslyn Daniels went head-to-head for Cape Town's Ward 56, with Jansen emerging ahead in the local government elections.
The local government elections have delivered an unusual political contest in Cape Town, where Democratic Alliance (DA) candidate Ashwin Jansen has beaten his brother, Patriotic Alliance (PA) councillor Cheslin Daniels, to take control of Ward 56.
Daniels won a by-election in 2023, becoming the PA's only ward councillor in the City of Cape Town. Three years later, his brother challenged him for the seat, and the interim election results put Jansen ahead.
Speaking to CapeTalk, Jansen said he would congratulate his brother once the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) officially declared the results.
Daniels has already conceded the election in a public statement, although Jansen said it did not include congratulations.
"Unfortunately, dynamics are not as simple as one would expect. It's quite nuanced," Jansen said when asked whether his brother had congratulated him.
He added that he would send his brother a message once the IEC declared the Ward 56 result.
'He served the residents of Ward 56 well'
Despite the unusual family rivalry, Jansen acknowledged his brother's work during his time as councillor.
He said it would be disingenuous to suggest Daniels had not worked for the residents of the ward.
"I must commend him for his tenure as ward councillor," Jansen said.
The incoming DA councillor takes over a ward covering Factreton, Kensington, Maitland, Windermere Park, Wingfield and Acacia Park.
What does the incoming DA councillor have planned for Ward 56?
Jansen described Ward 56 as a diverse area, with different communities facing distinct challenges.
Asked about his plans, he pointed to the recent Ndabeni Trust land invasion and the difficulties encountered in protecting land earmarked for restitution.
He said the City of Cape Town remained duty-bound to help residents protect their properties, even though the trust had not included the city in its court interdict.
Jansen said his priority would be to consult residents and stakeholders before deciding which issues should be addressed.
Rather than promising to tackle specific problems within his first 100 days, he wants the community to help determine the ward's priorities.
"The first step will be to engage with all the various sectors in the ward," he said.
Jansen said residents, ratepayers and police forums would all have a role in identifying priorities, which would then inform a collective plan of action.
He said the priorities would be established through engagement with the community before implementation began.