Johnathan Paoli
The ANC has tightened its grip on key municipalities in the Northern Cape and North West, while the PA delivered a breakthrough performance by winning a DA-held ward in the ZF Mgcawu District Municipality.
In by-elections held on Wednesday, the ANC retained Ward 20 in Kanana South, Orkney, in the Matlosana Local Municipality with 81.03% of the vote, up from 72.01% in the 2021 local government elections.
The party’s new councillor is Fortunate Lehlohonolo Mahogen.
The PA emerged as the official runner-up with 11%, ahead of the EFF, which slumped to 8% from 18% in 2021.
The by-election followed the death of ANC councillor Molefi Sello, who was killed after an altercation outside a tavern earlier this year.
The result confirmed the ANC’s continued dominance in the gold-mining region surrounding Orkney and Klerksdorp, despite a slight drop in turnout from 39% in 2021 to 33.71%.
The PA, however, will take encouragement from overtaking the EFF in an area where it previously had limited support.
The ANC also secured a major political victory in the Siyathemba Local Municipality by wresting Ward 2 in Prieska from the Siyathemba Gemeenskap Beweging and gaining outright control of the council.
The party won 50.77% of the vote in Bonteheuwel, Prieska, defeating the newly formed d’Bokke movement, which secured 44%.
The once-powerful Siyathemba Gemeenskap Beweging, which had stunned the ANC in 2021, collapsed to 5%.
The ANC’s victory means it now holds six of the municipality’s 11 seats, allowing it to govern without relying on a coalition with the SGB.
The party’s new councillor is Franklin Vaughan Louw.
The by-election was triggered after former SGB councillor Ronald Februarie resigned and formed d’Bokke, contesting the seat under his new party banner.
Turnout in the ward fell from 65% in 2021 to 57.16%, but the ANC managed to reclaim both voting districts, including the decisive Omega Community Hall district.
Meanwhile, the PA scored a historic victory in Ward 15 in Rosedale, Upington, defeating both the ANC and the DA in the Dawid Kruiper Local Municipality.
The by-election was triggered by the resignation of the previous DA councillor.
The PA secured 37.53% of the vote after previously obtaining just 1% in the ward in 2021.
The ANC finished second on 32%, while the DA, which had held the seat, crashed to third place with 29%.
The result handed the PA a breakthrough ward victory in Dawid Kruiper and its first councillor in the local municipality.
The party’s new councillor is Christi-Ann Ntlanganiso.
In the 2021 local government elections, the PA received only 63 votes across all 17 wards in Dawid Kruiper.
Turnout surged dramatically to 63.01%, compared with 47% in 2021.
PA leader Gayton McKenzie celebrated the result on social media, describing the victory as evidence of a political “shift” in the Northern Cape and congratulating Ntlanganiso.
“I left Upington knowing that a shift has happened. I want to thank all leaders in Northern Cape including the ones who came to help. I want to assure you that we appreciate your hard work,” he said.
“Our councillor, you are kind and love people, thank you. I want to thank our voters who kept to the promise, our volunteers who stayed in position. I can only but thank God for your presence in our lives. PA has enemies, PA has detractors, PA has people who were with us but never for us, we see them clearly now, PA is a force and I want to thank all real PA patriots,” said McKenzie.
The ANC in the Northern Cape and North West also praised volunteers and party structures for securing victories in Matlosana and Siyathemba.
The next round of municipal by-elections is scheduled for 27 May, when the ANC is expected to defend seats in Evaton in Gauteng and in the village of Masutlhe near Mahikeng in the North West.
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