ANC jubilant after by-election victories
File picture: Sizwe Ndingane/ANA Pictures File picture: Sizwe Ndingane/ANA Pictures
The ANC said it had “emerged victorious” following the results of the by-elections held in four provinces.
On Wednesday, five municipal wards were contested, in the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng and the Western Cape.
“The ANC won Ward 5 in Bergrivier, Western Cape, from the DA and retained the highly contested Ward 124 in the City of Johannesburg,” said ANC national spokesperson Zizi Kodwa.
The Bergrivier municipality includes Piketberg and Porterville.
The ward was won by community activist Billy Claasen.
The ANC won the ward after losing it to the DA during the 2011 local government elections.
Faiez Jacobs, the ANC's provincial secretary, said Claasen lost the ward during last year’s elections.
“On Tuesday night he won the ward with 194 votes. During our campaign we found that people in the ward were very disillusioned and unhappy with the DA’s service delivery record in the area.
"We worked hard, put in lots of hours and knocked on each and every door in the ward during the campaign, and our hard work paid off," Jacobs added.
“This is also a sign of what can be done when the ANC is united and focused, our structures are strong and our members are active and involved.
"We will sustain the momentum, fight each and every by-election, and, for the sake of the people of the Western Cape, become a better party-in-opposition in the province and in all the municipal councils, and foster greater organisational unity as we head to the 2019 elections.
"The ANC thanks all voters, supporters, volunteers, REC members, PEC members and NEC members who worked with commitment and diligence to make the victory possible. We promise the people of Bergrivier that we won’t disappoint and will install exemplary community activism and leadership in the area,” Jacobs said.
“In addition, due to the unyielding and solid support the ANC continues to enjoy, it retained Ward 7 in Ngqushwa, Eastern Cape, with more than 80% of the votes,” said Kodwa.
He said the ANC strategy to reclaim political power in the Western Cape was slowly but surely yielding positive results.
“We dare not take for granted the confidence the people continue to demonstrate in the movement. Ours is to redouble our efforts in delivering services to the people,” said Kodwa.
“We thank our volunteers, members and supporters who continued to work tirelessly and ensured this decisive victory for the ANC and the people of South Africa. We equally congratulate the Electoral Commission for, once again, delivering credible, free and fair elections.”