PA stuns DA in Paarl as ANC regains ground in Kimberley in by-election shakeup

By Johnathan Paoli

Four by-elections across three provinces produced dramatic results, with the biggest shock coming from the Western Cape where the Patriotic Alliance (PA) made history by unseating the Democratic Alliance in Amstelhof, Paarl in the Drakenstein Municipality, the second-most populous district in the province.

PA Leader Gayton McKenzie congratulated councilor Veronica Maralack-Boonzaaier of Ward 27 for her victory.

“Thank you very much Patriots, the DA was delivering fake pictures of me with murder suspect to every house, but our people know that we would not lie to them. The WC is no longer a given for the DA,” McKenzie said.

In a major symbolic victory for the PA, the party secured 43% of the vote in Ward 27, surging from just 1% in the previous contest, while the DA’s support plummeted from 58% to 39%.

The African National Congress (ANC) edged up slightly to 16%, while the Concerned