Zukile Majova
THE ROAD TO 2024: Zukile Majova looks ahead to four upcoming by-elections and questions if the ANC will be able to stop bleeding municipal wards.
The ANC continued to have its back against the wall in recent by-elections across the country.
The same is expected on Wednesday when the ruling party contests by-elections in four municipal wards in the Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga and Western Cape.
This week, 75% of wards that have become vacant were previously controlled by the ANC and the candidates, sworn in just a few months ago, are all dead.
Too often the results of these by-elections lend credence to the belief the 2024 national general election is going to be the most important since the miracle of 1994.
The electorate in every ward is yearning for better municipal services, RDP houses, a stable supply of electricity and water.
Over two million people have lost jobs over the past two years while youth unemployment has reached 60%.
The ANC has not been faring well in recent by-elections.
Also, there is now clear evidence that the ANC is bleeding votes and public representatives.
In Wednesday’s elections 18 candidates from 11 political parties will contest the by-elections.
In the Eastern Cape, a ward previously controlled by the ANC will be contested in King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality (Mthatha), after it became vacant as a result of the death of a councillor.
Another ANC ward in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (Gqeberha) is also vacant following the death of a councillor.
The ANC, the DA, EFF and the UDM are out in force in the region where a delicate coalition governs an important metro in the ANC heartland.
Another ANC ward up for grabs is in the Chief Albert Luthuli Municipality in Mpumalanga after yet another ANC councillor died.
Contestation for this ward is firmly within the ANC as the now-deceased ANC councillor won the ward by 82%.
The last by-election is in Ward 07 Matzikama Municipality in the Western Cape where a
councillor of the Patriotic Alliance resigned.
Gayton Mckenzie’s party will be hoping to show its growth after it won the ward by just 26.9% from a voter turnout of 58.7% in the November 2021 local government elections.
