There were six by-elections held across South Africa on Wednesday, with three being held in Newcastle, and one each in Emfuleni (Vereeniging), Moretele (Makapanstad), and uMshwathi (Wartburg).
In Newcastle the ANC was defending three marginal seats. On Wednesday the IFP took all three seats off the party, with the IFP’s vote share growing significantly in all three by-elections. However, the MK Party, which has recently been a factor in by-elections in KwaZulu-Natal, had not fielded any candidates in any of the by-elections.
The IFP is now the biggest party in the municipality and holds 22 of the 67 available council seats. It currently governs in coalition with the DA and others, and these wins will be a boost to the local governing coalition.
In Emfuleni the ANC held a marginal seat, winning 38.1% of the vote, a slight increase on the 37.7% it won in the 2021 local government election. The PA was second, with a third of the vote, up from the 14% it won in 2021, while the DA managed 26.7%, a decline compared to 2021.
In Moretele the ANC easily retained a seat, winning nearly 80% of the vote, with the only challenger being the EFF.
In the final by-election, in uMshwathi, it was another easy day at the office, with the ANC winning 72.5% of the vote, an increase compared to the 2021 local poll. Here the challengers were the IFP, which won 23.6% on Wednesday, and the EFF, with 3.8%.
Overall, the IFP will be very happy with the day’s results. While the ANC was humiliated in Newcastle, in the rest of the by-elections it held up well. The EFF again failed to make any significant breakthrough, while the DA will be concerned that the PA is drawing away its voters.