Five by-elections were held across the country on Wednesday, with the ANC having a good day, holding all the seats it was defending and winning one.
There were two by-elections held in Amahlathi (Stutterheim) in the central Eastern Cape. The ANC held one ward comfortably, winning 85% of the vote, with the EFF being the only challenger in the by-elections.
In the other by-election in the municipality the ANC won a ward off an independent. In the 2021 local government elections an independent had won the ward with just over 50% of the vote, with the ANC winning 46%. On Wednesday the ANC won over 90% of the vote, with the EFF once again being the only challenger.
There were also two by-elections in Matlosana (Klerksdorp). Here the ANC again had a fairly easy day at the office, winning over 80% of the vote in both by-elections.
It was a different story in Newcastle. Here the ward had been held by Team Sugar South Africa (TSSA), an EFF breakaway. On Wednesday the IFP snatched it from TSSA, winning 40% of the vote, compared to the 14% it won in in the 2021 local government election. TSSA, which had won 37% in 2021 saw its vote share shrink to 17%. The MK Party was the second-biggest party on Wednesday, with nearly 30% of the vote. TSSA was third, with 17%, down from the nearly 40% it had won in 2021, which had been enough to win the seat.
The ANC was the fourth-biggest party, after having been the second-biggest party in 2021, with its vote share dropping to 13% from 32%.
It was a bad day for the EFF in the ward, with the party winning only four votes, out of more than 2 000 cast.
Overall, the ANC will be pleased with its day’s work on Wednesday, as will the IFP. EFF party strategists will need to go back to the drawing board with the party failing to make significant inroads anywhere.