By Johnathan Paoli
The DA registered a decisive night of gains in Tuesday’s by-elections, wresting two wards from the ANC in the Western Cape, while ActionSA delivered another strong performance in a Gauteng township ward where the ANC held but slid sharply.
The results across Langeberg, Cederberg and Mogale City underscored shifting electoral patterns ahead of the 2026 local government cycle.
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In Mogale City’s Ward 2 (Rietvallei Ext 1), a long-standing ANC stronghold bordering Soweto, the ANC retained the seat with 57%, down significantly from its 73% showing in 2021.
ActionSA surged to a formidable 29%, while the DA registered 7%, MK 6%, and the PAC less than 1%.
The EFF, which recorded 16% in 2021, did not contest.
Turnout increased slightly from 38% to 40%.
The ANC’s majority narrowed sharply at the Rietvallei Community Hall voting district, where its support plunged from 68% to 45%, while ActionSA climbed to 38%.
The ANC performed stronger at Thuthukezani Primary School with 66%.
Despite the contraction, the ANC declared the result a sign of continued loyalty in the West Rand.
“The ANC extends its heartfelt appreciation to the people of Ward 2, Mogale City, in the West Rand Region, following the outcomes of the recent by-elections,” ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said.
ActionSA’s strong second place, its latest advance in West Rand township politics, adds pressure on the ANC as the Mogale City coalition government prepares for the next polls.
The night’s most competitive race unfolded in the Cederberg municipality’s Ward 4 (Graafwater–Eland’s Bay–Sandberg), where the DA jumped from 18% in 2021 to 35%, edging the Patriotic Alliance (PA), which grew to 34%.
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The ANC fell from 31% to 22%, while the National Coloured Congress (NCC) claimed 7%, Cederberg Eerste (CE) collapsed to 2%, and TRUTH received less than 1%.
Turnout reached 54%.
Incumbent councillor Paul Strauss, who defected from the ANC to the DA, retained the seat for his new party by 29 votes.
Graafwater proved decisive, with the DA building a 93-vote buffer there, offsetting stronger ANC and PA results in Eland’s Bay and Sandberg.
The outcome dramatically alters the balance of power in Cederberg.
The new council composition is DA 4, CE 4, ANC 1, PA 1, and VF+ 1.
The CE/ANC coalition loses its majority, making the PA the sole kingmaker.
Celebrating the victory, DA Western Cape leader Tertuis Simmers said the result demonstrated growing support for DA governance.
“Voters in the Western Cape have endorsed the DA’s delivery record once again by ousting the ANC in Langeberg and Cederberg by-elections. These breakthrough wins show the voters’ confidence in our results-driven service delivery and integrity where we already govern,” he said.
In Langeberg’s Ward 4 (Bonnievale–Happy Valley), the DA captured the seat with 40%, up from 28% in 2021.
The ANC slipped to 37%, down from 47%, while the PA increased marginally to 23%.
Turnout was a solid 55%.
Councillor Daniel Baadjies, who defected from the ANC to the DA months after winning the October 2025 by-election, retained the ward for his new party by 94 votes.
The DA’s win shifts the municipality’s power dynamics, with it now holding 11 of 23 seats and can govern with the support of only one of its coalition partners, the People’s Democratic Movement or the Langeberg Independent Party.
Simmers praised councillors Strauss and Baadjies.
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“We congratulate the newly-elected DA councillors Paul Strauss and Daniel Baadjies. We believe they will be ideal flagbearers of the DA’s trend of solid governance. A special thank you to the voters of Cederberg and Langeberg for voting DA. Your vote sends a powerful message that you want effective governance and real delivery,” he said.
The ANC not only lost two Western Cape wards but also slipped substantially in Mogale City.
ActionSA’s continued penetration of township wards in Gauteng, after its 16% showing in Khutsong in late 2025, suggests growing competitiveness in areas where the ANC previously towered.
The PA, while not securing an outright ward victory, delivered a strategically significant performance, underscoring its growing influence in the Western Cape.
The party came within 29 votes of capturing Cederberg’s Ward 4 and posted steady gains in Langeberg, reinforcing its upward trajectory in rural and semi-rural municipalities.
The next round of by-elections on 11 February will see the IFP defending a competitive seat in uMzumbe, KwaZulu-Natal, while the DA and the PA face another showdown in George.
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