Previously dissolved Thabazimbi council hung after by-election
The African National Congress garnered the highest percentage of votes, with 39%, while the Democratic Alliance secured 16%, making it the official opposition.
Illustration: Lisa Nelson/GroundUp
THABAZIMBI - Thabazimbi residents need to prepare for a coalition government.
No political party which contested Wednesday’s by-election secured an outright majority.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) announced the results at a media briefing on Thursday.
The African National Congress (ANC) garnered the highest percentage of votes, with 39%, while the Democratic Alliance secured 16%, making it the official opposition.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) came in third with 13%, and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party received just 3% of the total votes.
The IEC’s provincial Commissioner Nkaro Mateta: “None of these political parties obtained 50% plus 1%. So, we still have a hung council in Thabazimbi. It’s as if we did not do anything to really remedy the situation because the Premier and NCOP [National Council of Provinces] dissolved this municipality based on the fact that nobody had a majority.”
‘IT’S BACK TO SQUARE ONE FOR THABAZIMBI’
Out of the 21 political parties that contested the by-election in the municipality yesterday, none of them managed to secure an outright majority.
Thabazimbi’s ongoing service delivery woes have been attributed to unstable and ineffective coalition governments.
In the 2021 local government elections, no political party in Thabazimbi secured an outright majority, leading to three years of poor service delivery due to political infighting and unstable coalition arrangements.
This instability was one of the reasons the NCOP decided to dissolve the council in August.
Mateta hopes similar challenges won't hit Thabazimbi in the future.
Of the registered population, 38% of Thabazimbi residents came out to vote in Wednesday’s by-election.