The African National Congress (ANC) retained a ward in a by-election held in Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) on Wednesday.
The party retained the ward relatively easily, winning 68.4% of the vote, although turnout was low, with only a quarter of voters turning out to cast their ballots. In the 2016 local government election the ANC won the ward with 75% of the vote.
The by-election was called as the previous councillor, Mzuvukile Boti, had died.
The biggest challenger to the ANC was the United Democratic Movement (UDM), who fielded a former ANC member, Nomakaya Ntozini, as their candidate and won 13% of the vote. An independent candidate, apparently with links to the Democratic Alliance, Noxolo Mafumana, managed just under 10%.
The result will give the UDM some hope that it can do well in next year’s local government election in the city.
Two other by-elections were scheduled for Wednesday in Phokwane municipality (Hartswater) in the Northern Cape. The by-elections were expected because two ward councillors, Crockett Adams and Kgomotsego Mokale, had been expelled from the ANC, making the by-elections necessary. However, the two councillors sought an urgent court interdict to challenge their suspensions and the calling of the by-elections, which was granted. The two councillors are now expected to appeal their expulsions.