Cape Town’s Ward 56 is set for an unusual election battle, with two brothers representing rival political parties competing for the same council seat.
According to News24, Patriotic Alliance councillor Cheslyn Daniels will contest the ward against his brother, Democratic Alliance candidate Ashwin Jansen, in the upcoming local government elections.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa has confirmed that South Africans will vote in the municipal elections on Wednesday, 4 November 2026.
Brothers Now Political Rivals
News24 reports that Daniels and Jansen grew up in Factreton but their relationship deteriorated after Daniels left the DA and joined the PA in 2022.
Jansen told the publication that their contact is now largely limited to council and subcouncil business.
The City of Cape Town identifies Ward 56 as covering areas including Factreton, Kensington, Maitland, Acacia Park, Windermere and Wingfield.
Daniels Defends the Ward
Daniels currently represents Ward 56 for the PA.
SABC News confirmed in August that he is the sitting ward councillor, and that he identified crime, unemployment and infrastructure theft as challenges during his term.
According to News24, Daniels won the seat in a 2023 by-election with 1,321 votes, or 40.7% of ballots cast.
The DA had held the ward after the 2021 municipal elections but did not contest the 2023 by-election after failing to register its candidate in time, News24 reported.
Wider DA-PA Contest
The Ward 56 race also reflects the broader competition between the DA and PA for support in Cape Town.
Daniels is also the PA’s Cape Town mayoral candidate, while Jansen currently serves as a DA proportional representation councillor, according to News24.
The City’s current Ward 56 map confirms that the contest covers communities stretching across Kensington, Maitland and surrounding areas.
For voters, the 4 November ballot will therefore combine a local ward contest with an unusually personal political rivalry between two members of the same family.