The ANC is losing support in the townships of Metsimaholo municipality in the Free State, according to an election analyst.
The municipality held ward and proportional representation by-elections on Wednesday.
The by-election saw 393 candidates representing 15 political parties contesting the 21 ward and 21 PR seats.
There were 282 ward candidates and 111 PR candidates.
Election analyst Dawie Scholtz said the ANC had lost "massive support" in the townships in the municipality in the past four years.
"This is a fascinating by-election. What we see is a really massive collapse of the ANC in township vote across Metsimaholo. In 2011 it received 82% of the votes, in 2014 it was 76%, in 2016 62% and now the votes have dropped to 42%," Scholtz said.
He said the Economic Freedom Fighters and the DA seemed to be picking up the votes the ANC lost in Metsimaholo.
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