The IFP was the biggest winner in the municipal by-elections held in KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday.
According to the election results released by the Independent Electoral Commission on Thursday, the IFP emerged victorious in seven of the 12 by-elections.
In what was described as a shocking outcome, the IFP made huge strides by snatching three wards from the ANC in Umzumbe.
The victory meant the Umzumbe council, which is under the Ugu district in the province’s south coast region, is now hung.
The ANC retained the municipality’s Ward 1 with 47% of the vote share.
Wards previously governed by ANC
The former president Jacob Zuma-led uMkhonto weSizwe Party came in second with 24%, and the IFP received 18% of the ward vote.
In Ward 2, the IFP won after garnering 39%, while in Ward 9, the IFP scored 45% of the votes, the MK Party received 26%, and the ANC amassed 24%, as well as in Ward 11.
The MK Party won its first ward with 31.38% of the votes, while the IFP scored 30.62% and the ANC 26% of the votes.
The IFP also came out on top in Ward 19 with 40%, while the ANC received 36% and the MK Party got 23% of the votes.
All the wards were previously governed by the ANC but became vacant following the sacking of six councillors accused of working with the opposition to dislodge the ANC.
The aggrieved councillors, including council speaker Sibonelo Maphumulo, joined the MK Party. Maphumulo was the only one who came back to power through the MK Party ticket following Wednesday’s by-elections.
General elections
Leading up to the by-elections, expectations were high that the MK Party would again cause an electoral upset, but it was not to be.
There was a widely held belief that MK would leverage its impressive run during last month’s provincial and national elections, where it became the third-biggest party in the country with 14% of the national vote.
The outcome meant that the party will have 58 National Assembly seats, while in KwaZulu-Natal it secured 37 seats. The party is also represented in almost all provincial legislatures.
In the other by-elections in the province, in UMzimkhulu local municipality Ward 1, the ANC emerged with 60% of votes. In Umvoti Ward 10, the IFP won after gaining 50%.
Additionally, in Newcastle Municipality Ward 5, the DA snatched the ward from the ANC with 31% of the votes, the IFP received 27%, and the ANC recorded 22%.
According to the results, in Mthonjaneni Ward 10, the IFP defeated the ANC with 58% of the vote, the ANC received 26%, and the MK Party recorded a pitiful 10%.
In Uphongolo, the IFP retained Ward 15 with 53%, the ANC amassed 29%, and the MK Party received 16%, while in KwaNongoma, under the Zululand district municipality, the IFP also retained Ward 11, which it won during the 2021 elections.
Voter turnout
The provincial elections head, Ntombifuthi Masinga, said there were no major incidents reported on election day.
“The average voter turnout for the province was 47%, with the lowest turnout recorded at Newcastle municipality,” said Masinga.
UMvoti also recorded the lowest voter turnout with 26%, while the highest was in Uphongolo and UMzimkhulu at 52% and 51%, respectively.
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