Three by-elections were held yesterday, with the ANC defending two seats and losing another to the EFF.
In Mkhambathini (Camperdown) in central KwaZulu-Natal, the ANC had a fairly easy day, winning nearly 80% of the vote on Wednesday, compared to the 55% it won in the 2021 local government elections. In the by-election the only opposition it had was from the EFF (14% of the vote) and the IFP (8%).
In Ramotshere Moiloa (Zeerust) in North West, it was another decent day for the governing party, which saw it win 63.4% of the vote in the by-election, compared to the 62% it secured in the 2021 poll. The only parties to win more than 10% of the vote on Wednesday were the EFF with 20% and the Forum 4 Service Delivery, which managed 13%.
In the final by-election, in Saldanha Bay in the Western Cape, the EFF shocked the ANC by winning a safe ward.
On Wednesday the EFF saw its vote share jump from the 15% it won in 2021 to 57% on Wednesday. Meanwhile the ANC share of the vote nearly halved, falling from 72% to 43%. The ANC and the EFF were the only two parties which stood in this by-election.
Overall, it was a mixed day, and the ANC will be especially happy with its performance in KwaZulu-Natal, but the Western Cape result will be keeping strategists in Luthuli House up at night.