By-elections: ANC clings to Etwatwa, Villiersdorp as ActionSA and PA eat into support

By Johnathan Paoli

The ANC has held onto two important wards in Gauteng and the Western Cape in the penultimate round of by-elections for 2025, but the results show a marked weakening of the party’s support base.

In both provinces, rival parties made significant gains, signalling a more competitive political environment ahead of the 2026 local government elections.

In Ekurhuleni’s Ward 109 in Etwatwa Winnie Mandela, the ANC secured 37% of the vote, down dramatically from the 69% it achieved in 2021.

The ward, located near the Mpumalanga border and adjacent to major routes including the N12, has long been considered an ANC heartland.

The by-election was triggered by the resignation of a veteran councillor and former mayoral committee member, and the absence of the Democratic Alliance (DA), which contested the ward previously, added further complexity to the race.

ActionSA delivered the most notable performance of the contest, rising from