Four by-elections were held across the country on Wednesday, with the ANC having a good day, defending two seats and gaining one in the Northern Cape.
The DA also defended a seat.
In Johannesburg the ANC successfully defended a ward in Soweto. It won 55% of the vote, a similar proportion to what it won in the 2021 local government poll, with primary resistance coming from the EFF and MK, which each won about 20% of the vote.
In Mpofana (Mooi River) the ANC again successfully defended a seat. It won just over half the vote, down from the almost 70% it had secured in 2021. The primary challengers this time were MK and the IFP, which won 22% and 25% of the vote respectively.
In the Northern Cape the ANC successfully won a seat off a local community-based party in Nama-Khoi (Springbok).
In a crowded field, the ANC won 37% of the vote, with the PA winning 20% and the DA 15%. The Namakwa Civic Movement, which had previously held the seat, came in second with 27% of the vote.
Finally, the DA won a ward in Stellenbosch in a very low poll. The DA won nearly 95% of the vote, with the only other challenger being a candidate from the ANC. Just over 6% of registered voters cast ballots in Wednesday’s by-election, with the number of spoiled ballots being higher than the number cast for the ANC candidate.
Overall, the ANC will be happy with its performance after a few by-elections where the MK Party especially has given it a bloody nose.