The Democratic Alliance has recorded a decline of about five percent in votes in the Eastern Cape province despite claiming control of the coastal towns within the Kouga Municipality. The party has also fallen short of its objective of claiming control of the closely contested Nelson Mandela Bay metro, drawing 38 seats out of the 61 seats needed for majority control of the council. One of the other shortfalls of the party in the province has been its removal as an opposition party from the Makana municipality in which it was replaced by the civic group, the Makana Citizens Front. For some reflection on the overall performance of the party, DA chairperson in the Eastern Cape, Andrew Whitfield