IEC announces voter registration for by-elections in Eastern Cape, North West and Gauteng

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has announced that voter registration will be held this weekend for four municipal ward by-elections.

The IEC said the by-elections are expected to take place on Wednesday, 04 May 2022.

“Voting stations will be open this Saturday, 19 March and Sunday 20 March 2022, from 8am to 5pm to allow all eligible voters to register and for current voters to check their registration details and to provide or update address details where necessary.”

In the Eastern Cape, by-elections will be held in Ward 11 Ntabankulu, which became vacant as a result of the councillor’s resignation, and Ward 20 in Nelson Mandela Bay as a result of the councillor’s death.

There will also be by-elections in Gauteng in the City of Tshwane Ward 96, which became vacant as a result of a resignation of a councillor.

In the North West, Ward 05 Mafikeng became vacant as a result of the death of a councillor.

Meanwhile, the IEC said the African National Congress (ANC) retained three seats and the African Unified Congress (AUM) won one seat during the by-elections contested in the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga.

The new ANC councillors are:

• Nolwazi Constance Nolukholo Nyandana, in Ward 05 in Intsika Yethu Municipality. The party retained the seat won in the 2021 Municipal Elections, by winning 91.65% of the total votes cast compared to 81.90% in the 2021 Municipal Elections. Voter turnout was 31.96%.

• Aphiwe Zihlangu, in Ward 01, in Engcobo Municipality party retained the seat won in the 2021 Municipal Elections, with 94.79% of the total votes cast compared to 90.92% in the 2021 Municipal Elections. Voter turnout was 34.76%.

• Happy Maseko in Ward 08 in Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Municipality. The party retained the seat won in the 2021 Municipal Elections, by winning 62.71% of the total votes cast compared to 62.91% in the 2021 Municipal Elections. Voter turnout was 48.02%.

The new councillor for the AUM is Paul Bodutu Mokgosinyane, in Ward 06 in Thaba Chweu Municipality. The party won the seat previously held by the ANC with 47.53% of the votes cast compared to 78.81% received by the ANC during the 2021 Municipal Elections. Voter turnout was 40.03%.

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