The African Nation Congress (ANC) is taking back ground lost in KwaZulu-Natal to Jacob Zuma's MK Party during the national elections in 2024 after winning a hotly contested by-election Pietermaritzburg.
The ANC emerged victorious in Ward 2 in Sweetwaters, Pietermaritzburg which was previously lost to the IFP during the February 2023 by-elections.
The ANC thumped both the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party and IFP in the by-elections that was held on Wednesday in the area.
After the ANC defeated the MKP with 1,602 votes.
This means that Mbongweni Zuma will take the oath of office as the next councillor for the Sweetwaters district.
The Jacob Zuma led, MKP got 1,164 votes.
With only 344 votes, the IFP trailed far behind.
The EFF abstained from the poll while the ANC received 51.36% of the vote.
The by-elections was sparked after the IFP dismissed Councillor Sibusiso Ntuli whom they accused of being unruly.
The MKP faced internal squabbles with factions colliding on who they should field. Some wanted Nkosinathi Mshengu to be the councillor while others preferred Sthabile Nkabinde.
The ANC has 39 seats, DA 16, EFF 10 and the IFP eight in the Msunduzi Municipality.
In total, three by-elections took place last Wednesday with the ANC winning two seats in KwaZulu-Natal and the Northern Cape according to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).
In a statement, the ANC expressed gratitude to the Msunduzi Ward 2 for voting for them.
"We extend our deepest gratitude to all voters who placed their confidence in the ANC. This trust is not taken for granted and we remain committed to delivering on the promises made during the campaign.
"We also thank our dedicated volunteers who worked tirelessly to ensure that our message reached the people," it said.
The party further called on the newly elected and existing public representatives to continue serving the people with integrity.
In the Northern Cape by-election, the ANC took back control of the Calvinia region's Hantam Municipality.
The ward has previously been won by the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the local elections of 2021.
According to ANC chairperson in the Northern Cape, Zamani Saul, this victory is the third municipality the ANC has recaptured in by-elections in the last three months.
"These victories show the resilience, hard work and dedication of the ANC to serve the people. They affirm that the ANC remains the movement capable of advancing the daily needs of South Africans and delivering the change they seek," the ANC said.
All political parties are preparing for the 2026 upcoming local government elections.
IOL Politics