Six by-elections were held across South Africa on Wednesday with the DA holding five wards and the PA one.
In Tshwane the DA retained a ward relatively easily, winning over 60% of the vote. The primary challenge here was from the VF+, which won 35% of the vote, compared to the 21% it won in the 2021 local government poll.
Two by-elections were held in Mpumalanga. In Emalahleni (Witbank) the DA won nearly 90% of the vote, with the only challenger being the ANC. In the 2021 election the DA had won 60% of the vote but was helped on Wednesday by the VF+’s decision not to field a candidate. In 2021 its candidate had won 20% of the vote so it is likely most of that party’s supporters voted DA in the by-election.
In Msukaligwa (Ermelo) the party faced more of a challenge. It won 52% of the vote, with the PA winning 27% and the ANC 21%. In 2021 the PA had not even fielded a candidate in the ward, making its showing this week even more impressive.
The final three by-elections were all in the Western Cape.
In Stellenbosch the DA practically had a walkover, winning every single vote in the ward bar three. The by-election saw very low turnout, with only 4% of registered voters tuning out. Of the 216 people who voted all cast their ballot for the DA, except for two who voted for the ANC and one who voted for the Truth and Solidarity Movement.
In Cape Town the DA won 85% of the vote, a similar percentage to its 2021 result. Here the primary challenger was the Cape Independence Party, which won 13% of the vote.
The final by-election was held in George. Here the PA held the seat.
It had first won the ward from GOOD in a by-election held last year. On Wednesday its candidate won 52% of the vote, nearly doubling the PA’s share compared to last year’s by-election. The DA was second with just over 30% while the ANC won 12%. GOOD brought up the rear, with 5% of the vote.
Overall, the DA will be happy with its performance, but the VF+ and PA both challenged it. The good performance of the Cape Independence Party in Cape Town will also be something to watch, and to see whether the party can build momentum into the next local government election in two years’ time.
[Photo: IEC Facebook]