The ANC has retained ward nine in the Makhado Local Municipality after a landslide victory in the low turnout by-election on Wednesday.

Despite a low voter turnout, the province’s ruling party retained the Makhado town ward with a 66.63%, after receiving 999 votes. 

The April 2 by-elections came after the death of ANC cllr Kanukani Maphubu in January this year, after a short illness.

Maphubu was also a member of the municipal executive committee, serving as the portfolio head for Sport, Arts, and Culture. 

With a registered population of 4 174, only 1 531 turned up to cast their votes, according to the Electoral Commission of South Africa ( IEC). The by-election had a lower voter turnout of 36.68%.

With 37,01% after getting 450 votes, the Democratic Alliance (DA) came second. The MK party scored 63 votes and African People’s Convention (APC) got a paltry nine votes. The two parties recorded less than 5% of the votes. 

The ANC’s candidate, Madzhini Khumbudzo, is expected to be sworn in and fill the vacant seat in the Makhado Local Municipality. 

In the 2021 local elections, the ANC secured 55.08% of the votes in Ward 9.

It won by 1,090 votes compared to the DA’s 622 (31.4%) and the EFF got 53 (2.68%).

The EFF did not contest for ward nine in the recent by-elections.