By-elections: ANC wins KZN ward from IFP, suffers loss to PA in Joburg
By-elections were held in four provinces, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and the Western Cape, on Wednesday, 28 June. Ten wards in eight municipalities were up for grabs. The Democratic Alliance (DA) had a solid showing, retaining four of its seats, and consolidating its support. The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) also continues to perform well in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), […]
By-elections were held in four provinces, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and the Western Cape, on Wednesday, 28 June. Ten wards in eight municipalities were up for grabs.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) had a solid showing, retaining four of its seats, and consolidating its support.
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) also continues to perform well in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), where it retained three seats. However, it lost a ward to the African National Congress (ANC).
The ANC’s win in KZN is overshadowed by losing the hotly contested Ward 107 in south Johannesburg, where the Patriotic Alliance (PA) came out on top.
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DA’S STRONG BY-ELECTION PERFORMANCE
The DA’s Andrew Lesch is the new councillor of Ward 83 in the City of Tshwane. The Blue party successfully defended the seat it won in the 2021 Local Government Elections with 72.02% of the total votes cast. This was a slight increase from the 69.34% garnered in 2021.
The voter turnout for this ward was reported at 22.79%.
In eThekwini, KZN, the DA’s Allan Eugene Peterson retained the seat for Ward 11. The party won 57.11% of the vote compared to 40.72% in the previous municipal elections.
The voter turnout in this ward was reported at 25.91%.
Moving to Mpumalanga, Elsie Wilhelmiena Vermooten held onto the Ward 14 seat in Steve Tshwete Municipality with an overwhelming 96.58% of the vote, up from 79.79% in the previous elections.
The voter turnout for this ward was reported at 27.46%.
The DA also scored over 90% of the vote in the Western Cape. Jonathan Scott Mills is the new councillor for Ward 107 in Cape Town. He won 94.07% of the vote compared to 82.36% in the previous election.
The voter turnout in this ward was reported at 21.39%.
IFP RETAINS MOST SEATS IN KZN, BUT FACES DECLINE IN WARD 05 AND MARGINAL INCREASES ELSEWHERE
The IFP managed to retain three of its seats in KZN. However, the party’s support dropped in one of the wards it defended, and increases were marginal elsewhere.
George Delane Khanyile won Ward 05 in the iNkosi Langalibalele Municipality with 40.90% of the vote, a notable decline from 70.42% in the previous election.
The voter turnout in this ward was reported at 48.27%.
In Ward 21 of the same municipality, Sandile Buthelezi retained the IFP’s seat with 55.72% of the vote. This result reflected a marginal increase compared to the 50.05% secured in the previous elections.
The voter turnout for this ward was reported at 64.24%.
In the Alfred Duma Municipality, the party also retained its seat. Bongani Nicholas Madondo is the new councillor for Ward 29. He received 52.79% of the total votes cast, a slight increase from the 51.30% achieved previously.
The voter turnout in this ward was reported at 61.75%.
ANC SECURES WARD 14 FROM IFP, IMPROVED VOTER SUPPORT
Staying in KZN, the ANC took Ward 14 in the iNkosi Langalibalele Municipality from the IFP. Saziso S’yabonga Shabalala won the seat with 54.89% of the total votes cast, an improvement from the 44.14% achieved in the previous elections.
The voter turnout for this ward was reported at 56.09%.
In Mpumalanga, the ANC retained its seat in Ward 12 of the Mkhondo Municipality. The party built on its support, with Muzi Romeo Qedusizi Mhlanga winning 66.58% of the vote compared to 61.74% in the previous elections.
The voter turnout for this ward was reported at 37.06%.
PA CLAIMS VICTORY IN CITY OF JOHANNESBURG: SECURES WARD 07 SEAT FROM ANC
The PA celebrated a victory as Lois Cathleen Simonse secured a seat for the party in Ward 07 of the City of Johannesburg, Gauteng.
The ANC previously held the seat. On Wednesday, the PA won 46.81% of the vote, up from the 37.55% it received previously.
Huge money were used to make posters calling us ANC lite, thousands of smses targeted the PA from Action SA & the DA, big ego & no impact Coloured people were used to make videos n Ennerdale by Action SA to rubbish name of @OnsBaizaNie. Our people rejected nonsense. pic.twitter.com/7sqysFLdxc
— Gayton McKenzie (@GaytonMcK) June 29, 2023
The voter turnout for this ward was reported at 33.86%.
According to Daily Maverick, the next round of by-elections will go down on 19 July. Voters will take to the polls in the Free State, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and North West.