Africa-Press – South-Africa. The Patriotic Alliance has cruised to victory in a by-election in Ennerdale, Johannesburg, winning a ward that the ANC previously held.
The Ward 7 by-election saw PA candidate Lois Simonse win 47% of the votes, in contrast to the ANC candidate, who only got 24%.
The PA had narrowly lost to the ANC in the 2021 local government elections in the ward.
The by-election was triggered by the ANC ward councillor resigning and joining the PA.
Various factors preceding this by-election may have influenced the PA’s victory.
The DA chose Randell Markgraaff to contest the ward, but he withdrew on the eve of the election.
The reasons behind his withdrawal angered the DA, who accused the PA of possibly bribing Markgraaff to pull out.
The candidate had met with PA leader Gayton McKenzie days before his withdrawal, according to an affidavit submitted by DA campaign manager Nicola du Plessis.
Despite the DA’s withdrawal, the party remained on the ballot as Markgraaff had pulled out of the race after the nomination deadline was closed by the IEC.
Elections monitoring expert Wayne Sussman said the DA’s withdrawal from the election was a small factor in the PA’s win.
But Sussman qualified this by adding that the PA’s victory was by a considerable margin, and could also be attributed to a shift by some voters.
“The PA’s victory was very large, by a larger margin than the DA’s in 2021. We are seeing two things; yes, the DA did not contest, which helped the PA the most, but at the end of the day, they pushed the opposition in Ennerdale,” he said.
Another factor in this election was the ANC’s poor performance in Finetown, part of the Ennerdale ward.
The ANC had campaigned heavily in the area, with its national leader Nomvula Mokonyane canvassing for votes over the weekend.
Despite her presence, the party did not do well, and its decline could be attributed to voters leaning toward ActionSA and the EFF, Sussman said.
The PA has celebrated the outcome in Ennerdale and said that the result proved the party’s strategy was winning support.
“Voters are tired of parties just hurling insults at each other. They want their lives to change for the better. They have entrusted the PA with power because we are open about the fact that we are in politics for power. Without power, you can change nothing; people are crying out for change and hope. We are indeed the last hope,” it said.
KwaZulu-Natal
Meanwhile, in KwaZulu-Natal, the ANC defeated the IFP in Ward 14, disputed the Ward 5 loss to the IFP on account of events that unfolded in the Geza voting district, and lost Ward 21 to the IFP.
The ANC’s candidate for Ward 14, Saziso Shabalala, clinched a rare victory for the ANC in the iNkosi Langalibalele Municipality, which is an IFP stronghold.
ANC elections manager Veronica Penniston submitted a complaint to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), registering the party’s complaint about the IFP’s conduct in the by-elections.
Penniston said in her letter to the Estcourt IEC manager:
She accused IFP leaders and members of “illegally closing” the Mathamo and Themba voting stations.
“The voting stations reopened after the intervention of the police officers. The IFP members intimidated voters and refused them their rights to vote at the Geza voting district, which they eventually forced to close prematurely (just before 19:00). IFP leaders and members provoked ANC members, which resulted in a standoff at the Ezitendeni voting district. In terms of applicable law, the IFP has failed to conduct itself, and the law should take its course.”
The ANC’s Josiah Gumede region spokesperson, Bheki Khanyile, told News24 that the Ward 5 victory was inevitable as the IFP was weaker than it thought.
“The ANC worked hard on the ground. The IFP mayor [Mduduzi Myeza] here conducts himself in an arrogant manner. I think that’s another reason they lost,” he said.
“It’s driving people away from the IFP. And it’s not that people don’t like the ANC. We lost the 2021 elections because of [complacency].”
The Ward 14 councillor vacancy became available when the IFP axed Mlwane Magwaza, Mjwayeleni Mkhize, formerly of Ward 21, and Gadla Mkhize, former Ward 5 councillor.
Khanyile said: “The IFP fired them for standing against the mayor, who was showing arrogance of the highest order.” However, according to reports, the three had allegedly accepted bribes from the ANC.
The IFP’s George Khanyile won the disputed Ward 5 by clinching 40.9% of the votes.
In Ward 21, the IFP’s Sandile Buthelezi got 55.72% of the votes (1 808) to beat the ANC’s Siphelele Mbatha, with 42.65% or 1 384 of the votes, and the EFF’s Sibonga Mntambo (1.08% or 35 votes).
The by-election in eThekwini was triggered by the resignation of a DA councillor. The DA retained Ward 11 by winning 57.11% or 2 928 of the votes, while the ANC came second, with 30.12% (1 544). The PA won 4.68% (240 votes).
In the Alfred Duma Ward 29 by-election, the IFP’s Bongani Madondo won with 52.79% (or 1 524 votes), followed by the ANC’s Mxolisi Mkhonto (44.23% or 1 277 votes), and the EFF’s Velaphi Madondo 1.21% or 35 votes.
Meanwhile, in Mpumalanga the ANC held on to Ward 10 in Mkhondo, while the DA also retained several of its wards in eThekwini, Mpumalanga, Tshwane and Cape Town.
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