The party did well in by-elections this week, despite leader Mmusi Maimane’s resignation.
No wards changed hands in the six by-elections held this week, with the Democratic Alliance (DA) defending one ward, and the African National Congress (ANC) the other five.
Despite Wednesday’s drama, when the DA leader and key senior ally, Athol Trollip, resigned from their positions, the DA had a fairly good day. The party easily defended a ward in Ekurhuleni, where its candidate won over 80% of the vote, compared to the 79% the party had managed in the 2016 municipal elections.
In Enoch Mgijima Municipality (Queenstown) in the Eastern Cape, the DA also pushed the ANC hard in a two-horse race. The ANC beat the DA by only 78 votes (out of more than 1 700 cast). In the 2016 election, the ANC had won the ward with 56% of the vote, while the DA had managed 41%.
The ANC defended another ward in the Eastern Cape, in Umzimvubu, in the north-east of the province. The party won with ease, its candidate securing nearly 90% of the vote.
In Kopanong in the Free State, however, the ANC had a fight on its hands. The party held the ward on Wednesday, but with 50% of the vote, compared to the nearly two thirds it had won in 2016. An independent candidate had been the party’s main challenger, gaining 40% of the vote in the by-election.
The ANC also defended a ward in northern KwaZulu-Natal, in uMhlathuze. The ANC candidate won 50% of the vote (against 52% in 2016). The party’s main challengers were the Inkatha Freedom Party, which won 27% of the vote, and the DA (16%). However, this will be a concern for the DA. While, in 2016, the party had won nearly a third of the vote in the ward, it lost a significant share of that on Wednesday.
A ward in Amahlathi, north of East London, was uncontested, allowing the ANC to retain the seat.
Overall, both the DA and the ANC will be fairly happy with Wednesday’s results, although there are some warning signs for both organizations which they would be wise not to ignore.