The ANC has retained Ward 17 in the Lepelle-Nkumpi local municipality in Limpopo after a landslide victory in the by-election on Tuesday.
Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) spokesperson Kate Bapela said the ANC won the ward’s by-election with 69.71% of the total votes cast.
Bapela said during the 2021 local government elections, the ANC won the ward with 63.50%.
Walter Nkune is the newly elected ANC councillor for Ward 17 as a result of the by-election victory.
ANC thanks voters
“During the by-election contested on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, in the Limpopo province, the African National Congress retained its seat,” said Bapela.
“The newly elected ANC councillor is Walter Nkune in Ward 17 in Lepelle-Nkumpi municipality, LIM355, Limpopo.
“The party retained the seat it won in the 2021 municipal elections, with 69.71% of the total votes cast, compared to 63.50% during the 2021 municipal elections.”
She said the voter turnout for this by-election was 39.53%.
The ANC took to social media to express its happiness at winning the by-election.
“The ANC welcomes the recent by-election results and expresses its full gratitude to the people of Ward 17 in Lebowakgomo, Lepelle-Nkumpi municipality, for their strong demonstration of commitment to the ANC,” wrote the ANC.
“Thank you to the voters of Ward 17 in Lebowakgomo, Limpopo, for voting for the ANC and reaffirming us as the leaders of society.”
Hopes for outright majority dashed
The EFF, DOP, UAT, and ELF-SA were also contesting the by-election, according to ANC statistics.
The ANC received 1 015 votes (69.71%), the EFF came in second with 251 votes (17.24%), the DOP secured 176 votes (12.09%), the UAT got 11 votes (0.76%), and the ELF-SA received three votes (0.21%).
The ANC obtained 74.23% of the votes in Limpopo during the May 29 general elections It secured 40.18% of votes nationally, failing to obtain an outright majority for the first time in 30 years.
The National Assembly, which will hold its first session on Friday at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, will have 159 MPs representing the ANC.
The sitting will elect the speaker and deputy speaker of the National Assembly, as well as the country’s president.
