EFF wins first ward during by-elections in Nkomazi

History was made in the Lowveld of Mpumalanga when the EFF claimed its first-ever ward in the province since the party was established in 2013, and started contesting local government elections in August 2016.

Wednesday October 19 saw the EFF’s Ward 11 councillor candidate, Mafia Surprise Fane, claiming a landslide victory during the highly contested by-elections.

The Red Berets’ Fane scooped a staggering 57.7% (1 662 votes), followed by the ANC’s Sizakele Ngomane with 34.5% (993) and independent candidate, Rose Khoza, with 223 of the votes.

For decades, the date October 19 has remained special to the people of Nkomazi, since it is the day when the former Mozambican president, Samora Machel, died following a plane crash in the hills of Mbuzini, just kilometres away from Ward 11.

For these residents, which include those from KaHhoyi and Goba, this date has just become even more significant.

“For me, this simply means a new beginning and renewed hope for better services. We have been neglected for too long and we want to believe that the EFF is the answer to a better life that we have been yearning for. I don’t need to tell you, as you can see for yourselves the moment you land here [KaHhoyi].

ALSO READ: ANC welcomes outcome of by-elections in Nkomazi

There’s no road, no water and absolutely no services at all,” said Michael Mahlalela, a Ward 11 resident, who said he had switched sides and voted for the EFF.

Until that day, the Nkomazi had always been the ANC’s stronghold. The ANC won 50 of the 65 seats in the 2021 local government elections.

“When we earlier said that we are slowly coming for the ANC, we were not hallucinating. We knew exactly what we were talking about. This is only the beginning. We are now eyeing our biggest prize, which is the 2024 general elections,” said the EFF’s provincial leader, Collen Sedibe.

“The people are tired. They are now starting to see the light that the ANC-led government doesn’t care about them. Look at the state of our roads, public healthcare institutions and the lack of vital basic services such as water and electricity. You can fool some people sometime, but you can’t fool all the people all the time. I am happy that the people are seeing the light now and are starting to liberate themselves,” said Sedibe.

“Azongen’ amanzi endlini,” he pointed out, indicating that things were about to go down.

On Friday October 21, the EFF Student Command ruled supreme at the University of Mpumalanga’s Student Representative Council elections, winning five seats with the South African Student’s Congress, only claiming two.

ALSO READ: Mpumalanga DA raises concerns over employment equity of genders

Sedibe stressed that they do not impose councillor candidates as the EFF, but let the communities choose their own, which he argued has proven a winning formula.

“In the EFF we also don’t talk generational mix, we practise it,” he added.