Zukile Majova
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) are in a celebratory mood after they threw everything into the election battle against the ANC in Mpumalanga and actually won.
The red berets won the by-election in Ward 11 Nkomazi near the eSwatini and the Mozambique border to secure the EFF’s first ward in the heartland of the ANC.
Their candidate Surprise Mafia Fane is a known community activist.
Wednesday’s by-election came after the termination of the membership of an ANC Ward Councillor.
Previously the ANC won the ward by over 53% of the vote.
This time around the ruling party won just 993 votes compared to the EFF’s 1,662 votes. An independent candidate won 223 votes.
The defeat in Mpumalanga summed up a bad week for the ANC which also lost control of a municipality in Limpopo despite the council being dominated by ANC councillors.
In a bizarre turn of events in Lephalale Local Municipality, the DA’s Nico Pienaar was elected mayor after political bickering forced three ANC members to vote with the DA.
The position became vacant when the ANC decided to remove rogue mayor, Alpheus Thulare.
The decision divided the ANC in the region with some councillors supporting the ousted mayor.
Disgruntled councillors tried to disrupt a council vote to elect the new ANC mayoral candidate but were thrown out by the speaker.
In their absence three ANC councillors voted with the DA, effectively handing the mayoral chain to Pienaar.
It remains to be seen whether the ANC will dismiss the rogue councillors and risk fighting more bruising by-elections after losing by-elections even in its traditional strongholds.
Pictured above: EFF activist in Nkomazi
Credit: Lungani Zungu
