Moyahabo Mabeba
As the election results continue to trickle in, the battle for municipal control in Limpopo has begun to take shape.
The ANC looks set to shed voters across the province, but the party has still secured the most wards. The EFF will also be reservedly pleased with its performance.
As early as Tuesday morning, the ANC voter support was at 67.88%, followed by the EFF (12.68%) and the DA (9.06%).
However, the governing party will struggle to secure a landslide victory.
During the 2016 municipal elections, the ANC won 568 wards in the province, while the DA secured 24 and the EFF three.
This time, the picture tells an interesting story for the EFF, which gained support in Polokwane by winning two more wards and retaining ward 13 in Seshego, the home of its leader, Julius Malema.
The EFF is also gaining support in Elias Motswaledi in the Sekhukhune District where it won wards 21, 08 and 30.
The party is solidifying itself as the third-biggest in the province but it’s yet to make a significant impact.
The DA is gradually losing its grip in the Waterberg district where it lost the Mookgophong-Modimolle Municipality to the ANC.
The ANC’s pre-election campaigns are paying off in various municipalities in the regions of Vhembe and Mopani.
However, the DA has won four wards in the suburban areas of Polokwane.
Meanwhile, the Freedom Front Plus, which is the fourth-largest party in Limpopo, will for the first time win a ward in the Modimolle-Mookgophong, its stronghold in the Waterberg District.
With the 2021 elections marred by a remarkably low voter turnout, South Africans can expect plenty of twists and turns as more votes filter through.
The Independent Electoral Commission in Limpopo confirmed that 2,585,526 registered to vote, however a significant number of these opted not to vote on Monday.
Analysts have pinned the low support in this year’s elections on the rushed nature of the election preparation, the Covid-19 pandemic and the general lack of faith in political candidates and parties.
