Over 51 000 registered voters were eligible to participate in the by-elections.
The African National Congress (ANC) has emerged victorious in the recent by-elections held in Thabazimbi, Limpopo.
The by-elections followed the dissolution of the Thabazimbi Local Municipality, leaving all council seats vacant.
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Over 51 000 registered voters were eligible to participate, casting their ballots on Wednesday across 57 voting stations in the region.
The highly contested 24 seats drew 405 candidates from 21 political parties, along with five independents.
Thabazimbi by-election results
On Thursday, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) announced the results, with 19 812 people having voted in the by-elections.
According to IEC electoral provincial officer for Limpopo Nkaro Mateta, the ANC secured the majority of votes with 39.65%, translating to 10 council seats.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) ranked second, garnering 16.41% of the vote and earning four seats.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) claimed three seats with 13.32%.
Other parties also made their mark.
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The Labour Party of South Africa and the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) each obtained two seats, with vote shares of 8.59% and 7.09%, respectively.
Meanwhile, the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party and the Thabazimbi Residents Association (TRA) each secured a single seat.
The by-election outcome, however, leaves Thabazimbi as a hung council, where no single party holds a majority, necessitating the formation of coalitions to govern effectively.
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2021 municipal elections
In the 2021 local government elections, the ANC dominated by winning 11 of the 12 wards but fell short of an outright majority with 47% of the vote.
The DA followed with 15%, earning four council seats, while the TRA secured three seats with 11%.
The EFF edged out the FF+ for fourth place, with both parties sending two councillors to the chamber.
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Despite the ANC’s strong showing in 2021, the DA managed to assume control of the municipality through a coalition with smaller parties.
The ANC has lost control of several municipalities, leaving many councils hung and reliant on coalition arrangements for governance.
The rise of hung councils across all 257 municipalities has been significant, increasing from 29 in 2000 to 82 in 2021.
