The EFF’s growth in the North West continues after the party wrested a ward from the ANC in the May 4 by-elections.
This as the electoral fortunes of the ANC continue on a downward spiral after their bloodied nose in the November 2021 local polls, where the party dipped below 50% for the first time in its history of contesting elections.
The red berets thumped the ANC in Mahikeng ward 5, scooping more than two-thirds of the votes cast with a 42.04% voter turnout.
The defeat for the ANC was huge after the party won the ward by more than 50% just six months ago during the 2021 local government polls.
Of the four by-elections on Wednesday, the ANC retained two wards, in Ntabankulu and Nelson Mandela Bay municipalities and lost the one to the EFF in Mahikeng, while the DA retained a ward in Tshwane.
Where the ANC and DA retained their wards in NMB and Tshwane, voter turnout was poor at just more than 20%.
Overall in all four wards, the ANC received 37% of the votes, followed by the DA at 20% with the EFF coming in third at 19%.
ActionSA garnered 10% of the votes.
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