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WHILE the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape has all but conceded that it will not be able to bring the African National Congress (ANC) in the province to below 50% of the vote this year, the party says it believes it will improve on its 2009 election performance and become the official opposition in the province.

DA provincial leader and premier candidate Athol Trollip said on Tuesday that the ANC would retain its majority in the province and he felt "sorry" for Eastern Cape residents because the ANC "would continue to govern with impunity".

Though the ANC in the Eastern Cape has been riddled by factional battles in recent times, the party still has a strong support base, especially in rural areas. In the 2009 national election the ANC won nearly 70% of the votes in the Eastern Cape. In that election, the Congress of the People (COPE), which had just entered the political scene, won 13% of the vote to become the official opposition in the province, ousting Bantu Holomisa’s United Democratic Movement (UDM) which got 4%. The DA had about 10% of the provincial vote.

Mr Trollip said that he did not believe the DA would be able to bring the ANC to below 50% and "I say this with a heavy heart".

He said that the massive majority that the ANC has in the Eastern Cape means that the party "governs with impunity". Mr Trollip said the Eastern Cape was one of the worst governed provinces in South Africa and he felt sorry for residents as this was set to continue.

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"They govern with impunity and I am afraid this will continue after the next election and the ANC will continue to govern with arrogance. They will retain their majority in the Eastern Cape," Mr Trollip said. He said the DA was the only opposition in the province that was well positioned to eventually oust the ANC. COPE had imploded, and the UDM continued to struggle, Mr Trollip said. He however did not rule out working with other opposition parties and said the DA may well have to form a coalition if it is to govern the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro after the 2016 municipal elections.

Mr Trollip said he believed the DA would increase its share of the vote in the province at this year’s polls "I do not want to speculate, but I am confident we will continue to grow," Mr Trollip said. He added that the DA would make massive inroads in rural areas, the traditional ANC support base.

"Prior 2011 (municipal elections), we had two councillors in the former Transkei and post 2011 we now have 16 councillors which is fantastic for our growth," Mr Trollip said.

Mr Trollip said the DA had been well received on the campaign trail with hundreds of people joining the party. He also said the presence of former Eastern Cape premier, Nosimo Balindlela, who joined the DA in 2012, had had a profound impact on the party’s campaign.

"She has managed to attract some former ANC members to the DA ... and has shown people that democracy is about choice," Mr Trollip said.

ANC Eastern Cape provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane said on Tuesday that the party was aiming to get above 70% of the provincial vote and the party would continue to dominate politics in the province because "this is the home of the ANC". He said the DA was "misguided" to say that the Eastern Cape was one of the worst run provinces in South Africa.

"I do not know what barometer they are using, but they have been given a chance in the Western Cape and they have failed our people there," Mr Mabuyane said. He said under the ANC, the Eastern Cape had made progress.

"Our people have access to clean water, electricity, roads ... yes, there are still challenges, but this administration has made a lot of progress since 2009," Mr Mabuyane said.