Staff Reporter
ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula has welcomed the outcome of the by-elections in the Thabazimbi Local Municipality as a critical milestone in its journey of renewal.
The municipality held its by-elections on Wednesday this week and while the ANC failed to win an outright majority, the party secured 10 council seats and 10 wards.
The previous council was dissolved, and the municipality was placed under Section 139 administration, following incidents where it was run by two parallel structures, one led by the ANC and another by the Democratic Alliance.
Mbalula, who was speaking during a media briefing at ANC headquarters in Johannesburg on Friday, said the ruling party cannot risk losing that municipality and cannot afford complacency to set in.
“This electoral outcome is a solemn mandate for the ANC to deliver, act, and lead decisively. We direct all ANC-led municipalities to act with urgency and discipline, ensuring the swift implementation of service delivery projects,” said Mbalula.
“The ANC will not tolerate underperformance, inefficiency, or corruption within its structures. Leaders who fail to meet their mandate must rise to the challenge or step aside. We expect all our deployees to be guided by revolutionary morality in discharging their public duty. When services are delayed or promises broken, it is the ANC as a whole that is held accountable.”
Another victory in the Northern Cape saw the ANC reclaim a ward previously held by the DA.
In KwaZulu-Natal, the ANC made strides in a historically Inkatha Freedom Party ward, increasing its vote count from 659 in 2021 and 211 in May 2024, to 914 in the latest by-election.
“These victories carry a clear message: the ANC must intensify efforts to combat corruption, improve basic services, and rebuild trust in communities that have felt neglected,” said Mbalula.
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