ANC retains ward in by-election in Polokwane
The ward became vacant after the resignation of the 68-year-old ward councillor, Eunice Maraba. She will be replaced by Shadung Ramasela.
POLOKWANE – The ANC retained ward 40 in the local government by-election in Polokwane last week.
The ward became vacant after the resignation of the 68-year-old ward councillor, Eunice Maraba. She will be replaced by Shadung Ramasela.
The ward was also contested by the EFF, ACDP and the ATM. The ANC received 63% of the votes, the EFF 35% and the ATM 1%. Mashashane, one of the rural parts of the Polokwane Municipality, lies about 40 kilometres east of the city and is close to the Mogalakwena Municipality.
The ANC encountered some problems in parts of the wards last Wednesday, with some voting stations clearly having an EFF majority: At the Tutwana Primary School voting station the EFF received 74% of the vote, the ANC decreasing its support in this station from 49% in 2016. The EFF’s support in 2016 was 38% of the vote. At the Botsikana School the ANC won the EFF by one vote.
In 2016 the ANC received 61% of the proportional vote and the EFF 26%. At the Maune Primary School voting station district the ANC received 82% of the votes cast, up from 69% in 2016 and the EFF vote went down from 19% to 16%. Ward 40 remains a safe seat for the ANC, but the EFF will be bolstered by their growth in this ward. The overall ANC support decreased by 2%, while the EFF support grew by 11 %.
The voter turnout was a disappointing 46%, as only 3 693 voters out of a registered 7 990 pitched up to cast their votes.
