By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has retained Ward 13 in the by-elections in Seshego, Polokwane with an overwhelming victory .
EFF won the ward with 57.34%, African National Congress (ANC) came in second with 47% and the South African Communist Party (SACP), which was contesting elections independently from the ANC for the first time in the province, only secured 70 votes, just over 1% of the total votes cast.
The ward is the home turf of party leader Julius Malema, who grew up in Seshego.
The seat became vacant three months ago after the previous EFF councillor, Mafiwa Leballo, was expelled from the Polokwane municipal council for missing eight consecutive meetings, which was deemed misconduct. This triggered the by-election, turning Ward 13 into a battleground for political heavyweights.
IEC Provincial Electoral Officer, Nkaro Mateta, announced the EFF’s Michael Ramaphoko as the new ward councillor.
“The winner for this ward is a candidate from the Economic Freedom Fighters, Mongatane Michael Ramaphoko, who won this ward with 57.34%. We’d like to congratulate the EFF for this hard work, and we are saying to the parties that lost, next time, I think they will work harder, and really, we are satisfied with these by-elections.”
At the EFF’s Tshela Thupa rally in Seshego on 13 July 2025, Malema rallied supporters, stressing improved service delivery as the party’s core promise.
Meanwhile the Democratic Alliance (DA) faced a stiff challenge from the Patriotic Alliance in Arcadia, Nelson Mandela Bay, The IFP held firm against the ANC and a lacklustre uMkhonto Wesizwe party in an AbaQulusi ward in Zululand. The sole ward to change hands was one in which it was impossible for the incumbent to win since the independent candidate was not on the ballot. The ANC won by a landslide in Ngqushwa in the Amathole district.
The next round of by-elections will be on 23 July when the ANC defends a seat in Sebokeng in Emfuleni and the DA defends two in the Western Cape, while the PA will hope to retain a seat in Sol Plaatje in the Northern Cape.