The Democratic Alliance (DA), the main national opposition, runs both the Western Cape provincial government and the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality but has been subject to severe criticism over its disaster management and the imminent likelihood of ‘Day Zero’ -- the cutting of non-essential water supplies. The difficulties come at a particularly inopportune time for the DA as it is already struggling to counter the image of a reforming ANC under its popular new leader, Cyril Ramaphosa.
Despite the DA's woes, persistent internal ANC divides in the Western Cape will likely prevent it taking control of the province in 2019.
Maimane will face mounting internal pressure to make bolder structural economic reforms part of the party's 2019 platform.
The DA could struggle to convince voters of significant gains from DA-led metros -- such as Nelson Mandela Bay -- won in 2016.
