Telling North West by-election for ANC as it battles EFF and MK party

The ANC held a siyanqoba (to conquer) rally in Madibeng, North West, on Sunday, hoping to kill two birds with one stone.

The ruling party is fighting to win a by-election, scheduled for Wednesday, and at the same time mobilise voters for the 29 May national and provincial elections.

The rally was addressed by the convener of the ANC NEC deployees to North West, Soviet Lekganyane, and ANC provincial chair Nono Maloyi.

By-election challenge for ANC

The party cannot afford to lose a by-election in Madibeng, which is an ANC stronghold, but there is a new challenge from the breakaway uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, which is also contesting the by-election along with Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).

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Under pressure to redeem itself after a series unfulfilled promises, the ANC hoped to retain its Ward 1 seat at the local council, left vacant after chief whip Elsie Kgautle died following a short illness this year.

The ANC is fielding a new candidate, Ephraim Maphatha Nkoe, in the by-election in a contest seen as test case for the ruling party, which is having to demonstrate it is stronger than former president Jacob Zuma’s MK party.

Nkoe will be battling against MK’s Elizabeth Thato Legase and the EFF’s Lebogang Neo Simango. Other parties, like the Democratic Alliance and Freedom Front Plus, did not enter the race.

ANC confident of victory

With the EFF as a third contestant and also likely to steal ANC votes, the stakes have become higher.

ANC Bojanala regional secretary Raymond Moraile was confident of victory in the by-election.

“The prospects of winning this ward for ANC is 70%. We are closing our campaign with this siyanqoba rally,” Moraile said.

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He said the party had reinforced the campaign with Lekganyane and Maloyi, who were accompanied by a group comprising the ANC provincial and regional executives and the party’s local and regional electoral teams.

Voters are due to cast more than 400 special votes on Monday and Tuesday before the election on Wednesday. The Electoral Commission of South Africa said voter turnout in the 2021 municipal election had been 46.72%.

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