One spoilt ballot separated the Inkatha Freedom Party and African National Congress in the tension-fraught Jozini municipality‚ with the IFP being the ultimate beneficiary on Friday. A 20-strong ANC-led alliance was likely to tie with the 20-strong IFP-led alliance in votes for mayor‚ deputy mayor‚ speaker and chief whip -- which was likely to result in a coin toss deciding who would emerge victorious. However‚ that spoilt ballot from within the ANC-led faction gave the IFP a narrow 20-19 win in each vote.Delani Mabika was named mayor‚ and Lindiwe Gumbi named speaker.KwaZulu-Natal economic development MEC Sihle Zikalala‚ who was nominated as the region's "champion" on behalf of the provincial government‚ said after the vote that parties needed to work together."No matter which party you are from‚ the people need to be first. This is an area identified as one with high poverty; this new council needs to address that first‚" he said.Jozini‚ about 350km north of Durban‚ had been unable to elect office bearers until now because the tie between the two rival factions had seen every decision and vote end deadlocked. Previously‚ the ANC was accused of simply not showing up for meetings‚ and for not returning from a short recess after a council meeting last month.On Friday morning‚ the 5th meeting to constitute the Jozini Municipality got off to a rocky and chaotic start when the IFP objected to Zikalala addressing the meeting.The IFP councillors eventually backed down and the voting process began soon thereafter under the watchful eye of IEC provincial officer Mawethu Mosery...