It was a mixed day in by-elections on Wednesday for parties that form part of the GNU, although the PA will likely be the happiest out of those that put forward candidates.

In Emfuleni the ANC held on to a seat, but with a reduced majority. On Wednesday it defended a seat with 38% of the vote, compared to the just over 50% it secured in the 2021 local government poll.

Its primary challengers in the ward were MK with 21%, the DA with 12%, and the PA with just under 12% of the vote.

The PA will be pleased with the result. In the 2021 local government poll its candidate didn’t secure a single vote; on Wednesday its candidate had nearly 300 votes.

In Sol Plaatje (Kimberley) the ANC won a seat off the PA. In Wednesday’s by-election the ANC beat the PA by 150 votes, to grab a seat off Gayton McKenzie’s party. The ANC won 43%, while the PA won 39%.

This was the third by-election in the ward since the 2021 poll. The ANC won the first by-election in February 2023, lost to the PA in October 2023, and has now won the seat again.

In Bergrivier (Piketberg) in the Western Cape the DA successfully defended a seat, winning 45% of the vote: an increase on the percentage it won in the ward in 2021. However, it was pushed hard by the PA, which won 39%, with the DA beating the PA by 200 votes out of more than 3,000 cast.

In Drakenstein, also in the Western Cape, the PA shocked the DA, beating its GNU partner by 70 votes in a tight contest.

The PA won 43% of the 2,300 votes cast on Wednesday, showing very strong growth after the less than 1% it won in the 2021 local government poll.

The DA won 40% of the votes on Wednesday, with the ANC bringing up the rear with 17%.

The PA, apart from its reverse in the Northern Cape, will be pleased with its performance. The party’s surge across the Western Cape continues, giving it a strong platform ahead of the next municipal poll.


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