The African National Congress (ANC) has retained 27 of the 40 wards it contested in yesterday’s by-elections. The governing party has also lost one ward and won three new wards.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) which contested ten wards, has retained six wards but lost four, while the Patriotic Alliance has won two new wards. The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has retained one ward and won another. The Better Residents Association in Mpumalanga has lost a ward.
According to the IEC the average turnout of the by-elections was 31.94%, with the highest turnout being 36.63% and the lowest being 6.64%.
Analyst Wayne Sussman has a breakdown of what has happened.
“Generally it’s good for the ANC, it’s brilliant for a party like the Patriotic Alliance and it’s good for the IFP – those are the three main takeaways. It was always going to be a very difficult night for the DA. Eight weeks ago, I predicted that the DA would lose 4 wards they held on to two in Tshwane but lost two in Eldorado Park to the Patrotic Alliance. With regards to the EFF it wasn’t such a good night because they contest every single by-election and of the thirty six wards I have studied so far I think they would by happy with precious little of those results.”
The by-elections were held across 25 municipalities in the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga provinces, on Wednesday.
In KwaZulu-Natal, the IFP has won a ward from the ANC in oPhongolo in northern KwaZulu-Natal, while the ANC has taken a ward from the DA in the eThekwini Municipality in by-elections.
In the rest of the by-elections in five wards of three KwaZulu-Natal municipalities, the ANC has retained its four wards in Umhlatuzi Municipality at Richards Bay and eNdumeni at Vryheid, while the IFP has retained its ward in Nquthu.
In oPhongolo, the IFP received 58% of the votes as opposed to the ANC’s 54% in 2016. In turn the ANC won ward 110 in Phoenix with 54% of the vote as opposed to the DA’s 40% cent in 2016.
Media Statement on the Results of 19 May 2021 By-elections:
