The African National Congress (ANC) retained two wards in KwaZulu-Natal by-elections held on Wednesday, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) confirmed.

The by-elections were held in Ward 4 Okhahlamba Municipality (Bergville area) and Ward 21 AbaQulusi Municipality (Vryheid area).

Official results emailed to African News Agency (ANA) by the IEC showed that in the Okhahlamba Municipality, the ANC’s Manqoba Herbert Hlatshwayo received 1039 (35.03%) out of a total of 3010 votes, 44 of which were spoilt.

Voter turnout was 65.69%. The ward has 4582 registered voters. Previous results had the ANC at about 52%.

The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) received 783 (26.40%) of the votes. The struggling IFP breakaway National Freedom Party (NFP) – long written off by many pundits - received 719 (24.24%) votes. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) grew to 11.37 % (348 votes), where it previously only had about 3%.

The African Transformation Movement (ATM) took 1.69% (50) of the vote with the Congress of the People dropping to 0.91% (27 votes) from about eight%.

In AbaQulusi Municipality, the ANC increased its share from about 45% to 49.89%, with Nkosinathi Clement Mkhwanazi taking 1154 votes. A total of 2331 votes were cast, 18 of which were spoilt. Voter turnout was 56.9%. The ward has 4097 registered voters.

The IFP also increased its votes from about 44% to 47.3% (1097 votes). The NFP received 1.82% (42 votes), while the EFF’s votes decreased from about 3% to 0.86% (20 votes).

The AbaQulusi Municipality is currently governed under a coalition government with the Democratic Alliance (DA) and EFF, and led by the IFP.

The municipality was in March placed under administration by the KZN Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube citing allegations of mismanagement, nepotism and ballooning Eskom debt.

Both the IFP and DA have accused the ANC-led provincial department of abuse of power for political advantage.

ANC Provincial Secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli said in a statement released on Thursday that the victory in AbaQulusi put the ANC in “pole position” to control the municipality, with their seats in council now equalling those of the coalition.

“This development also has huge implications for the Zululand District Municipality, which may for the first time fall into the leadership of the ANC, a move which will bring to realisation the long struggle by the ANC to finally liberate the people of Zululand,” said Ntuli. 

This was the second ward won in AbaQulusi by the ANC in the last three weeks.