ANC wins four by-elections

02 February 2017 - 13:46 By Genevieve Quintal
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The ANC retained Ward 12 in the Metsimaholo by-election with 31.34% of the votes‚ while the EFF came in second.

President Jacob Zuma dances on stage after he addressed the crowd as the ANC held a celebration on the famous Vilakazi Street in Soweto to prepare for the upcoming 105th anniversary of ANC. File photo
President Jacob Zuma dances on stage after he addressed the crowd as the ANC held a celebration on the famous Vilakazi Street in Soweto to prepare for the upcoming 105th anniversary of ANC. File photo
Image: IHSAAN HAFFEJEE

The Free State ward became vacant when the ANC councillor resigned.

The EFF is hoping to take over the running of the entire the Metsimaholo municipality‚ if it can secure a vote of no confidence in the current mayor Sello Hlasa‚ the leader of the Metsimaholo Community Association. Earlier this week‚ a special council meeting where the motion of no confidence was likely to be brought against Hlasa‚ was postponed.

Metsimaholo was finely split between political parties in the August 2016 local government elections and was eventually run by an opposition coalition.

Hlasa‚ through the coalition‚ was elected mayor. However‚ Hlasa is alleged to have subsequently aligned himself with the ANC in the province forcing the DA and EFF to rethink their support in the municipality.

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The DA is likely to vote in support of an EFF mayoral candidate to replace Hlasa.

There were three other by-elections held on Wednesday - one in the Eastern Cape and two in the Western Cape.

In Ward 11 in George‚ the ANC managed to take control away from the DA. The area became vacant when the DA councillor died.

The ANC also retained Ward 25 in George‚ which became vacant when its own councillor died‚ and it kept Ward Three in the Umzimvubu Municipality in the Eastern Cape.

- TMG Digital/BusinessLIVE

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