DA, EFF snatch two wards from 'collapsing' ANC in by-elections

02 June 2022 - 13:16
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Voter turnout in the by-elections was relatively low compared with the municipal elections. The province that had the biggest number of people heading to the polls was the Northern Cape, where the turnout was more than 72%. File image.
Voter turnout in the by-elections was relatively low compared with the municipal elections. The province that had the biggest number of people heading to the polls was the Northern Cape, where the turnout was more than 72%. File image.
Image: Phillip Nothnagel

The DA and EFF have snatched two seats from the ANC in by-elections held this week in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape.

Confirmed results released by the IEC on Thursday show a decline in support for the ruling party, which retained two wards — one with less than 35% and the other with 68% of the vote.

The DA in the Kareeberg municipality, ward 4, took an ANC seat with 42.77% of the vote compared with 32.53% received by the ANC during the 2021 municipal elections.

Meanwhile, the EFF in the Rand West City municipality, ward 29, won the seat previously held by the ANC with 54.81% of the vote compared with 47.95% received by the ANC during last year’s local government elections. 

Despite the decline in ANC support, the party was able to retain three wards. In ward 53 in the City of Johannesburg it won the seat with 31.67% of the total votes cast compared with 59.01% during last year’s elections.    

ActionSA was the biggest winner in ward 53 despite not winning the seat, showing the greatest growth by increasing its support from 12.7% in last year’s election to 21.8%.

Reacting to the result, the party said its growth was an indication of the ruling party’s collapse. 

“This result also demonstrates how the ANC is collapsing. The ANC’s support in Soweto has gone from 89%, at its high-water mark, to 31% in yesterday’s by-election.  

“While ActionSA does not stand alone in driving this collapse, the truth is that places like Soweto no longer offer the ANC the protection of guaranteed support and will begin to drive their removal from power in 2024,” said party leader Herman Mashaba

In the uMvoti municipality, ward 13, the ruling party retained the seat with 33.84% of the vote compared with 43.23% during last year’s elections.  

However, in the Dr JS Moroka municipality, ward 10, the party retained the seat with 68.26% of the vote compared with 65.96% last year.  

Voter turnout in the by-elections was relatively low compared with the municipal elections. The province that had the biggest number of people heading to the polls was the Northern Cape, where the turnout was more than 72%. 

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