The PA has won a ward in Soweto's Noordgesig.
PA/X
The Patriotic Alliance snatched the ANC’s ward in Noordgesig,Soweto,and secured a ward in Swellendam.ActionSA won its first ward in the North West,calling it a historic breakthrough.The ANC secured wins in the Eastern Cape,Limpopo,and the Western Cape,which showed what it called “enduring confidence” from the people.By-elections on Wednesday saw the Patriotic Alliance (PA) snatch a ward the ANC previously held in Noordgesig,and Action SA taking its first ward in the North West in the troubled Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality.
The PA’s Ismael Steenkamp is the new councillor in Soweto-based Ward 29 after securing 1 756 votes,translating to 30.46% of the support.
Noordgesig is a predominantly coloured area in Soweto.
The ANC came in second with 1 302 votes. Voter turnout was at 36.70%.
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The PA secured several victories,including a ward in the Swellendam municipality.
Julian Mathyysen is the party’s new councillor for Ward 6 in Swellendam.
PA President Gayton McKenzie took to X to express his pride: “When they were busy lying about us,we were busy on the ground. When they were busy photoshopping our pictures,we were busy working,when they were writing bad headlines,we were busy writing up people. X is not real life; your opinion is yours only. We are here now.”
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Meanwhile,ActionSA’s Moshe Moumakwa is the new ward councillor for Ward 7 in Ramotshere Moiloa. He received 33.49% of the support.
ActionSA chairperson Michael Beaumont said: “The results of two by-elections,which ActionSA contested yesterday,demonstrate that ActionSA is growing at the expense of the ANC and reveal critical momentum ahead of what is shaping to be a seismic local government election next year.”
Beaumont said ActionSA had undergone a period of repositioning through the establishment of its own governance footprint in Tshwane,Operation Big Green Umbrella,which assimilates smaller parties under the ActionSA brand.
He said:
“Yesterday’s by-elections reveal this approach is now bearing fruit. A historic first by-election win for ActionSA took place last night in Ramotshere Moiloa,where ActionSA becomes the first party to ever win a ward off the ANC post-1994.
“This speaks directly to the effect of Operation Big Green Umbrella through the capacity that the Forum 4 Service Delivery has injected into ActionSA in this province in particular,alongside eight other parties and over 40 new councillors countrywide,” Beaumont added.
The ANC won three wards in Wednesday’s by-election.
The new ward councillor in Dr. AB Xuma is Vuyiswa Poswa,who received 69.42% support,and Raymond Nyathi is the new ward councillor in the Musina Local Municipality after he won 62.74% of the vote. Daniel Baadjies is the new ward councillor in Langeberg after securing 47.43% support.
READ | By-elections: ‘Historic’ eMalahleni win for DA as ANC keeps Eastern Cape,Tshwane strongholdsANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu said the results reflected “the people’s enduring confidence” in the ANC and affirmed the growing strength of the party’s renewal and service delivery programme.
“The African National Congress celebrates the people’s victories across the country. In Musina Local Municipality in the Vhembe Region (Limpopo),the ANC triumphed decisively,electing Councillor Raymond Mashudu Nyathi to serve the community with dedication and accountability.
“In the Dr AB Xuma Local Municipality in the Chris Hani Region (Eastern Cape),the people reaffirmed their confidence in the ANC through the election of Councillor Vuyiswa Poswa.
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“In the Langeberg Local Municipality in the Boland Region (Western Cape),councillor Daniel Baadjies successfully retained the ward for the ANC,demonstrating that even in contested terrain,the people continue to trust the ANC to lead them,” she said.
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