The African National Congress (ANC) have walked away with a victory in uPhongolo in northern KwaZulu-Natal following a by-election on Wednesday.

The ANC received 834 votes, while its close rival the Inkatha Freedom Party received 739. Meanwhile the National Freedom Party took 368 and Economic Freedom Fighters managed just 38 votes.

The elections comes after Mbhekiseni "Pat" Khumalo, a former ANC Ward 7 councillor was shot and killed four months after the 2016 local government elections.

Thembokuhle Ntshangase was elected the new ward councillor in the uPhongolo Local Municipality.

Commenting on the victory, the ANC said: "This election victory is significant because it reaffirms the leadership role of the ANC as the governing party of uPhongolo Local Municipality and also consolidating the movement's upward trajectory in the northern parts of our province."

There has been a spate of alleged political killings in KZN since the beginning of 2017.

Most recently, ANC councillor Mduduzi Shibase was gunned down by unknown assailants at his homestead in Gugwini, Ward 14, just weeks after Umzimkhulu Municipality speaker Khaya Thobela was shot at his home.