ANC pleased with by-elections results wins 10/19

The African National Congress said on Thursday it was happy with the outcome of the municipal by-elections where it won 10 of the 19 wards.

"This is a demonstration that the ANC remains rooted in its constituencies and it continues to sustain its base," spokesman Jackson Mthembu said in a statement.

"The majority of these by-elections were as a result of the ANC’s decision to remove ANC councillors who were irregularly nominated during the 2011 local government elections."

Mthembu said the by-elections demonstrated the seriousness of internal democratic practices and illustrated that the ANC could be trusted.

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) said the ANC won most of the municipal by-elections held on Wednesday.

"The African National Congress won 10 of the 19 municipal ward by-elections which took place on Wednesday," spokeswoman Kate Bapela said in a statement.

"Of the remaining seats, five went to the Democratic Alliance and three went to the independent candidates, whereas [the] Pan Africanist Congress of Azania won one seat."

There was an average voter turnout of 33 percent, with actual turnout of between 73.3 percent and 19.5 percent.

The ANC in Limpopo said they were "slightly pleased" after winning six of the seven contested wards in the municipal by-elections.

"It is fact that wards led by the oppositions and independent candidates are underperforming," PTT provincial secretary Joy Matshoge said in a statement.

"Our intention was to scoop all the wards under contestation. However our own internal puppets, traitors, decided to stand against us as independent candidates, capitalising on our weaknesses and mistakes."

Seven by-elections were held in Limpopo.

The ANC's Mahlalele Donald Hlangwini retained the party's seat in Ward 24 in the Greater Tzaneen municipality; and the PAC's Thomani Paul Thabela won Ward 33 in Thulamela (Thohoyandou) municipality from the ANC.

ANC candidate Selege Paul Diketane kept the party's seat in Ward 25 in the Makhuduthamaga (Ngwaritsi) municipality, Kotupo Elizabeth Dieale in Ward 27, and Phashe Jonas Marutla in Ward 28.

In Ward 20 of the Greater Tubatse municipality, the ANC's Putina Joel Hlatywayo replaced an independent candidate who died, while independent candidate Alfred Welly Mboyane won Ward 23 from the ANC, whose councillor had resigned.

A by-election in the Abaqulusi municipality's Ward 22 could not be held on Wednesday because of an Electoral Court order, which allowed Andre Lotter to run as an independent candidate.

Lotter was previously an African National Congress candidate in the Vryheid ward.

Matshoge said the people had spoken and the "poorest of the poor" said they trusted the ANC to help them fight poverty.

"We are greatly humbled by the trust, the confidence and the love which they have for this glorious movement," she said.