By-elections: ANC, DA slug it out in Tshwane

The ANC and the DA will be fighting it out for Ward 16 in Tshwane during by-elections to be held in the city on Wednesday.

The ward was previously represented by the DA but became vacant after the councillor resigned.

The ANC's Mosadisadi Christina Kekana will go up against the DA's Mokgohlwe Deborah Ramatsetse.

Both parties have been campaigning in the area ahead of Wednesday's by-election.

Poverty

The DA's Tshwane mayoral candidate Solly Msimanga visited the ward in Mamelodi with Kekana on Tuesday, saying there was a lack of basic services.

"Many residents I have spoken to have no hope for the future. They do not have access to the opportunities they need to escape the cycle of poverty they are trapped in," Msimanga said.

"The lack of basic services in Ward 16 is an assault on the human dignity of residents and shows how the ANC leadership in the City of Tshwane is only focused on benefiting themselves, their family and friends."

ANC Tshwane spokesperson Teboho Joala said the ANC was confident that it would retain the ward.

"We have covered the length and breathe of the ward. We knocked on every door and we interacted with the community at large and we also met with various stakeholders and conducted public meetings.

"We are quite satisfied that we have covered enough ground... It has been a stronghold of the ANC since 1994."

A by-election will also take place in Ward 37 Johannesburg.

The ward was previously represented by the DA and also became vacant when the councillor resigned.

The DA, ANC and the Congress of the People will be contesting the ward.

By-elections in six provinces

Six provinces will be holding by-elections on Wednesday.

In the Free State Ward 33 in the Maluti a Phofung municipality (Qwa-Qwa) will be contested by the ANC and the African People's Convention. The ward was previously represented by the ANC but became vacant when the councillor died.

In the Ngwathe municipality (Parys) Ward 13 will be contested by the ANC and the DA.

The previous DA councillor had died.

In Mpumalanga, Ward 20 in the Nkomazi municipality will be contested by the ANC and Cope. This was after the previous ANC councillor died.

In the North West, Ward 14 in Rustenburg will be contested by the ANC, the DA and the Freedom Front Plus.

The ward was previously represented by the DA but became vacant after the councillor died.

Also in the North West, Ward 13 in the Matlosana municipality (Klerksdorp) will be uncontested.

Thembeka Obittah Vilakazi of the ANC was the only candidate standing. The ward became vacant when the ANC councillor had their party membership terminated.

Ward 8 in the Engcobo municipality in the Eastern Cape is also going uncontested.

The ANC's Nomadama Nobuntu Mgidi was the only the candidate.

In the Western Cape there will be three by-elections.

Ward 14 in the Drakenstein municipality (Paarl) will be contested by the ANC, the DA and Die volk Stem van Suider Afrika.

The ward was previously represented by the ANC and became vacant when the councillor died.

In Bredasdorp, Ward 1 will be contested by the ANC and the DA.

The previous DA councillor resigned.

Ward 2 in Outdshoorn will be contested by the ANC, the DA, the South African Religious Civic Organisation and the Ward Democratic Forum.

The ward was previously represented by the DA and became vacant when the councillor resigned.

Source: News24