The ANC has tightened its grip in Mpumalanga after winning a ward previously held by an independent candidate.
This is while the IFP once again demonstrated its dominance in northern KwaZulu-Natal by comfortably defending its seat in Wednesday’s by-elections.
In Mpumalanga’s Mkhondo local municipality, the ANC emerged victorious in Ward 14, where Nhlanganiso Ntando Sakhile Motha secured 53.88% of the vote.
The result marks a notable improvement for the governing party, which had failed to cross the 50% threshold in the ward during the 2021 municipal elections, when it garnered 45.30%.
Voter turnout in the ward stood at 44.34%, reflecting moderate participation.
10 consecutive wins in Mkhondo
The victory further strengthens the ANC’s position in the council, extending its run in by-elections, which now exceeds 10 consecutive wins in Mkhondo.
The MK Party (MKP) mounted a credible challenge, finishing second with just over a third of the vote, underlining its growing appeal in parts of Mpumalanga.
The EFF, however, endured a difficult outing, scraping only minimal support and ending at the bottom of the field.
Meanwhile, in KwaZulu-Natal’s uMfolozi local municipality, the IFP reaffirmed why the area remains one of its strongest political bastions.
Wiseman Fihlokwakhe Njoko comfortably retained Ward 17 for the party, collecting 62.43% of the vote, a substantial improvement on the 50.90% it achieved in the 2021 municipal elections.
Voter turnout in the ward was slightly higher than in Mpumalanga, at 51.30%.
MKP is a rising political force
Although it failed to wrest the seat from the IFP, the MK Party continued to entrench itself as a rising political force in KwaZulu-Natal, finishing second with around a fifth of the vote.
The ANC trailed behind in third place, managing only a modest share of support in what has traditionally been a challenging province for the party.
Confirming the outcomes, the electoral commission said: “In by-elections held on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, the IFP retained its seat in KwaZulu-Natal, while in Mpumalanga the ANC won a seat previously held by an independent candidate.”
