The Patriotic Alliance has emerged as the biggest winner in the political battle for control of the town of Lichtenburg in the North West.
None of the big political parties secured an outright majority in the by-election held last month, leaving the municipality hung.
The ANC which previously ruled the 39 seat council with 21 councillors now has 16 seats. Councillor Boitumelo Lethoko of the PAlliance was elected mayor after joining the ANC-led coalition.
The Forum 4 Service Delivery brought its two PR seats to the coalition to give it a total of 20 seats, enough to govern.
The ANC’s Fikile Jakene settled for the position of speaker of council.
The ANC-PA coalition in the North West is also governing Potchefstroom’s JB Marks local municipality.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), which turns 10 this year, won two wards previously controlled by the ANC and a further eight PR seats.
The Lichtenburg election saw the rise in the influence of civilian political movements like the F4SD, Save Ditsobotla Movement and the African Heart Congress which have one PR seat each.
Traditional opposition parties like the DA with three wards and three PR seats and the Freedom Front Plus with one PR seat failed to take advantage of the public anger with the ANC.
It was infighting within the ANC that forced the provincial government to collapse the municipality which was operating with two mayor’s, two speakers of council and two municipal managers.
In other municipal election news; the IEC has opened applications for special votes in the upcoming by-elections, scheduled for 25 January 2023.
The by-elections will be in Ward 05 Mbhashe in the Eastern Cape, Ward 17 in Blouberg (Limpopo) and Ward 10 in Polokwane (Limpopo).
Pictured above: The EFF continues to eat into the support of the ANC in municipal by-elections
Image source: @EFFSouthAfrica
