EFF, DA snatch wards from ANC in by-election

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) took over ward 29 from the African National Congress (ANC) in this week’s by-election at Rand West City Local Municipality, Gauteng.

Wednesday’s by-elections held in Northern Cape, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal saw the EFF and the Democratic Alliance (DA) leave the ANC reeling in Bekkersdal and at ward 4 at Kareeberg Municipality in the Northern Cape.

EFF councillor Lindokuhle Emmanuel Biyela garnered 54.81% of the votes while the ANC’s Wanelisa Moche received 50%, albeit with a low turnout of 34%.

The governing party cemented its base and held on to three other contested wards – uMvoti Municipality’s ward 13 in KwaZulu-Natal, ward 10 at Dr JS Moroka Municipality in Mpumalanga and at Soweto’s highly contested ward 53 in the City of Johannesburg.

The results in Umvoti came very close with the ANC receiving 33%, followed by the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and ABC, both getting 32% each.

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The Soweto outcome saw EFF come second after ANC with 24% of the votes cast, followed by ActionSA with 22%. The DA got a wake up call when independent candidate Mbhekeni Shongwe shoved it down to fifth place, coming fourth after ActionSA with 18%. The DA got 4%.

The ANC retained the ward with 32% of the votes.

In the Northern Cape, DA councillor Johan Vermeulen won the Kareenerg seat previously held by ANC’s Elton Charlies with 42.77% of the total votes cast, the ANC received 32.59% while EFF got 19.76%.

Voter turnout was a good 73%.

Party leaders such as EFF secretary-general Marshal Dlamini led party campaigns in both Bekkersdal and Soweto earlier this week. ActionSA’s Herman Mashaba was also in Soweto, luring voters for party candidate Duduzile Ngubeni.

The by-elections took place to replace party councillors, four of whom died and one resigned.

During last month’s by-elections at 40 wards in Eastern Cape (7 wards), Free State (2), Gauteng (16), KZN (7), Limpopo (4) and Mpumalanga (4), the ANC lost one ward but managed to retain 27 wards, and won three new wards.

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