MK party triumphs over ANC in Rustenburg by-election

Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party won an ANC safe ward in its stronghold in Rustenburg in what some community members see as voters’ punishment for the ANC decision to remove community-chosen councillors in the 2021 local government elections.

At that time, the ANC removed candidates who were nominated by communities and placed political connected individuals on its municipal lists.

The Kgalema Motlanthe electoral committee investigated the matter and recommended the list should be rectified, but some communities were not satisfied by the report’s implementation.

MK triumphs over ‘crucial’ ANC ward

Ward 45 in the Rustenburg municipality is a crucial constituency for the ANC and is also the home ward of the Rustenburg mayor, Sheila Mabale-Huna.

But MK candidate Thabiso Molefe easily won the ward with a huge margin against ANC candidate Nomziwakhe Ntsoeu and Thabo Modimokwane of the EFF in Wednesday’s by-election.

Molefe received 43% of the votes, against the ANC’s 33% (44% in 2021) and EFF 24% (35% in 2021).

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In the 2021 local government elections, Molefe was an ANC candidate but was sidelined when the party parachuted someone else in.

A reliable ANC senior source in the area said the party tried to sideline Molefe but the community supported him when he stood as an MK candidate.

“The community never forgave the ANC for parachuting in councillors,” the member said.

Important victory for MK

This is an important victory for MK, which had its first councillor in a North West municipality after it won a ward in KwaZulu-Natal.

This gives the party two council seats in two provinces, even before it contests the 2026 local government elections, a clear indication that it would give the ANC a run for the money in the coming polls.

Bojanala platinum district, where ward 45 is situated, is an ANC stronghold and always sent the largest regional delegation to the party’s conferences… and any member who were backed by the region in party elections was guaranteed a leadership position.

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Although the ANC in the North West this week claimed the Motlanthe report on parachuted councillors was implemented and only two cases were outstanding, residents were still dissatisfied that their candidates were removed from party lists.

With five more wards to be contested in the Platinum Belt in future by-elections, there is concern that MK could emerge once more as voter disgruntlement against the ANC had subsided since 2021.

In other by-election results, in Madibeng, the ANC retained stronghold ward 17 (Mmakau) and elected Kresta Mathonsi (with 74%) as its councillor.

Other by-election results

DA kept ward 30 (Hartebeespoort Dam) at 56% (compared to 65% in 2021) and Anthony Peplar was elected as DA councillor, defeating ANC’s Martin Mathonsi (41%) and Koekie Mashego (3%) of the MK.

In Gauteng, wards 89 and 87 that were won by the DA with an overwhelming victory of 96% and 83%, respectively.

In eThekwini, independent candidate Andrew Akkers shocked the big parties when he won ward 34, ousting the DA whose performance dropped dramatically from 39% in 2021 to 15% on Wednesday. Akkers obtained 43% against MK 19%, ANC 18% (27%) and DA 15%.

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