Staff Reporter.
The African National Congress (ANC) has retained 27 of the 40 wards it contested in yesterday’s by-elections. The governing party has also lost one ward and won three new wards.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) which contested ten wards, has retained six wards but lost four, while the Patriotic Alliance has won two new wards. The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has retained one ward and won another. The Better Residents Association in Mpumalanga has lost a ward.
According to the IEC the average turnout of the by-elections was 31.94%, with the highest turnout being 36.63% and the lowest being 6.64%.
The ANC in greater Johannesburg said that these results were a clear rejection of the Democratic Alliance (DA)-Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) administration, which it claimed nearly collapsed the city.
The party also reclaimed a ward from the DA.
The DA’s fortunes did not turn in this round of by-elections, which saw the party lose four wards while it retained six.
Results per party:
The African National Congress:
• retained 27 wards
• lost 1 ward
• and won 3 new wards
The Democratic Alliance:
• retained 6 wards
• lost 4 wards
The Patriotic Alliance:
• won 2 new wards
The Inkatha Freedom Party:
• retained 1 ward
• won 1 ward
The Better Residents Association:
• lost 1 ward
The by-elections were held across 25 municipalities in the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga provinces, on Wednesday.
In KwaZulu-Natal, the IFP has won a ward from the ANC in oPhongolo in northern KwaZulu-Natal, while the ANC has taken a ward from the DA in the eThekwini Municipality in by-elections.
In the rest of the by-elections in five wards of three KwaZulu-Natal municipalities, the ANC has retained its four wards in Umhlatuzi Municipality at Richards Bay and eNdumeni at Vryheid, while the IFP has retained its ward in Nquthu.
In oPhongolo, the IFP received 58% of the votes as opposed to the ANC’s 54% in 2016. In turn the ANC won ward 110 in Phoenix with 54% of the vote as opposed to the DA’s 40% cent in 2016.