Election battleground: Will ANC’s grip on Northern Cape slip?

With less than a few days to go to the 2024 national and provincial elections, the African National Congress (ANC) is confident in securing an increased majority in Northern Cape.

South African citizens will cast their vote on 29 May to elect political parties and independent candidates to represent them in the National Assembly and the legislatures in all nine provinces.

2019 elections

Northern Cape is one of the provinces parties will be looking to challenge the ANC’s stronghold and obtain some seats.

In the 2019 general election, the ANC got 57.54% of the vote after 228 265 people voted for the ruling party in the Northern Cape.

Just over 101 000 voters supported the DA, with the party getting 25.51% in the province.

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The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and Freedom Front Plus (FF+) followed receiving 9.71% and 2.68% of the vote respectively.

The Congress of the People (Cope), Patricia de Lille’s GOOD party and the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) were the fifth, sixth and seventh largest parties in Northern Cape, but received no seats in 2019.

Battle for Northern Cape

More than 650 000 residents in the Northern Cape have registered to vote in this year’s polls.

The ANC is targeting a 62,78% victory in the province, building from their overwhelming win of 50.55% in the 2021 local government elections.

However, this will not come easily as some political parties aim to grow in South Africa’s least populated province.

The ANC retained four seats across four municipalities in the Northern Cape in three by-elections held over the past few months.

Despite this governing party’s support decreased in three of the municipalities when compared to the votes cast in the 2021 municipal elections.

SIYANQOBA- WE ARE WINNING 🖤💚💛

62,78% represents an overwhelming majority for the ANC in the Northern Cape. It can be done if we record a high voter turnout.

Make sure you #VoteANC on 29 May 2024 on all THREE ballots.#LetsDoMoreTogether#VoteANC2024 pic.twitter.com/SZnJVS8B9L

— @ANC NCape (@AncNcape) May 17, 2024

PA takes ANC seat

The ANC also lost one seat in the Sol Plaatje Municipality, which includes the province’s capital city of Kimberley, to the Patriotic Alliance (PA) in the October 2023 by-election.

The PA’s Johann Loff won Ward One in the municipality, increasing the party’s vote share by nearly 13% to 53.27%.

The Gayton McKenzie-led party now has four of the 65 council seats.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) seeks to achieve a 30% plus vote in Northern Cape.

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