Reports of the demise of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal may be exaggerated, if one goes by the results of a by-election held on Wednesday in Msunduzi (Pietermaritzburg).
On Wednesday the ANC won over 80% of the vote in the ward, facing only nominal challenges from the EFF and the IFP, which won 11% and 7% of the vote respectively.
In the 2021 local government elections, the ANC also won the ward relatively easily with just over 60% of the vote. The main challenge came from the EFF, which won nearly 20% of the vote in the poll.
The IFP will, nevertheless, be happy with its showing on Wednesday, as in the 2021 local government poll, it had won 2.6% of the vote and 69 votes. On Wednesday it saw its proportion of the vote increase and actual number of votes jump to over 200.
Concerningly, the by-election was necessary because the previous ward councillor, Mabhungu Mkhize, was shot and killed in August. His alleged killers appeared in court this week and have had their bail hearing postponed to December.