The DA has lost a by-election to the FF+ in Bela-Bela in Limpopo.
The poll, held on Wednesday, saw the FF+ win nearly 60% of the vote, against the DA’s 35%. In last year’s local government election the DA had won nearly two-thirds of the vote, with the FF+ on 26.1%.
The win means that the FF+ now has two seats in the 17-seat municipal council, which is dominated by the ANC, which holds ten seats. The DA also now has two seats. The EFF also has two seats and the Better Residents’ Association holds the remaining seat.
The loss will be a blow for the DA, with recent by-election results and polls showing that the party’s support had stabilised somewhat. This result will show that the threat from the FF+ is not a thing of the past and there will be a battle for the votes of Afrikaners in the 2024 election.