ANC Defends Two Seats in By-Elections But Vote Share Sharply Down

The African National Congress (ANC) defended two seats in by-elections yesterday, but its vote share was sharply down in both wards, boding ill for the party ahead of the next local government elections (LGE).

The first by-election was held in Ekurhuleni, in Etwatwa, east of Benoni.

Here the ANC won 37% of the vote in yesterday’s by-election, but this was sharply down on the 69% it won in the last LGE.

The primary challenger here was ActionSA which won 25% of the vote, up significantly from the 4% it won in the 2021 LGE.

Both the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK) won more than 10% of the vote, securing 20% and 15% respectively.

The other by-election was held in Theewaterskloof (Caledon) in the Western Cape.

While the ANC held onto its seat it again didn’t have things all its own way.

Yesterday it secured the ward with 33% of the vote, down on the 49% it had won in the 2021 LGE.

The Patriotic Alliance (PA) came second with 25% of the vote, a big increase from the 6% it had won in 2021. However, its candidate had formerly been the ANC councillor for the ward, so this may have played a role in the PA’s relatively strong performance.

The DA won 20%, down from 31% in the LGE, while the EFF won 9% yesterday, up from 5%.

GOOD won 6% and MK brought up the rear with 2% of the vote.

While the ANC will be pleased with its defence of two wards its decline in vote share, particularly in Ekurhuleni, bodes ill for the party’s chances in the next LGE, likely to be held about a year from now.