Note to editors: Please find attached soundbite by Tertuis Simmers
The DA welcomes the resignation of Jarques Esau, Ward 25 Councillor in George Municipality, who has resigned from the ANC and joined the DA. See photo here (Jarques in blue).
Councillor Esau served as Ward 25 Councillor from 2017 to 2026 and has been involved in the ANC since the age of 16. His decision to leave follows the deepening decline within the ANC and its inability to govern effectively.
He believes the DA is the only credible vehicle to deliver clean governance, restore public trust, and accelerate service delivery.
This follows further ANC departures in the Western Cape, including former ANC Western Cape Secretary Neville Delport, along with Paul Strauss, Daniel Baadjies, and Jason Donn, who joined the DA in November last year. Strauss and Baadjies have since successfully reclaimed their council seats under the DA banner in two recent by-elections.
Esau’s defection reflects the growing desire of ANC members across the province to join a party that works.