By Johnathan Paoli
The ANC retained Ward 9 in the Sakhisizwe local municipality in a by-election on Wednesday, home of the party’s national Chairperson, Gwede Mantashe.
ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula welcomed the outcome, saying it was a clear endorsement of the party’s continued relevance and electoral strength.
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“Thank you to our voters in WARD 9, Sakhisizwe in the Eastern Cape for overwhelmingly voting for the ANC. These results showcase that the ANC remains the only hope for South Africans,” Mbalula said on social media platform X.
The party won 84% of the vote in the ward, up from its already strong proportional representation showing of 80% in the 2021 local government elections.
The EFF trailed far behind on 9%, while the African Transformation Movement (ATM) secured 6%.
Despite a lower voter turnout of 47%, down from 59% in 2021, the ANC expanded its margin of victory, winning all 11 voting districts.
The party secured more than 90% of the vote in six districts, with its strongest performance recorded at Lower Lufuta Junior Secondary School and Mbeula Junior Secondary School, where it garnered 97% in both.
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The by-election was triggered by the death of ward councillor Thembalakhe Tasana, whose body was discovered hanging from a tree in January, which is still under investigation.
Historically, the ward has been a stronghold for the ANC.
In the 2021 local government elections, the party dominated the proportional representation ballot, exceeding 80% support in seven of the 11 districts and surpassing 90% in two, with its peak performance of 96% at eSigangeni.
The EFF’s strongest showing came in the Hota Primary School district, where it reached 36%, and it exceeded 10% in three districts overall.
The ATM, by contrast, struggled to gain traction, surpassing 5% in only one district, Mbenge Primary School, where it achieved 23%.
Sakhisizwe municipality remains firmly under ANC control, with the party holding all nine wards and 13 of the 17 council seats.
Opposition representation is limited, with the DA occupying two seats, and the EFF and ATM holding one seat each.
The decisive victory in Ward 9 adds to a string of strong performances by the ANC across the Eastern Cape, including in regions beyond the Nelson Mandela Bay metro and the Sarah Baartman District.
The next round of by-elections next week will see the DA defending two wards in the Saldanha Bay municipality in the Western Cape.