By-elections will be held in one of the wards in KwaZulu-Natal, following a win by the MKP in the area. The ward, one of two between Ward 12 and 13 in the Johannes Phumani Phungula municipality in Xopo, will hold a by-election after the MKP's Andreas Gumede won both wards. Gumede garnered 2 133 votes in Ward 12, surpassing the ANC candidate with 931 votes. In Ward 13, Gumede secured 1 934 votes, beating the ANC candidate who received 1 637 votes.
The MKP's provincial spokesperson, Mkhuseli Mlengane, attributed the by-election to an administrative error during the submission of the party's list of candidates. He assured that the party would win the by-election, citing the trust of the local people in the MKP. Mlengane noted that despite not having a representative in one of the wards, the party still managed to secure a win. Gumede's resignation from one of the wards will leave the MKP with 13 seats, short of the required majority to govern independently in the municipality.
The by-election in the MKP ward will be followed by another in the ward where the IFP's Khethelo Mdluli won before his murder in September. Mdluli, 40, was assassinated in front of his children in Gingindlovu. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has confirmed that by-elections will be held in areas where candidates passed away or resigned.
IEC KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson, Ntomb'futhi Masinga, stated that the law requires by-elections to be held within three months of a vacancy arising. She added that the commission will work with municipal managers to identify areas where by-elections are needed. Masinga also mentioned that the IEC will reopen the voters' roll to allow new registrations.
Masinga revealed that within 14 days, municipal council meetings will be held to elect new leaders. These meetings are expected to conclude by the end of the month. For parties that won seats through proportional representation, they will have the opportunity to submit a list of names for consideration.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) had approached the Electoral Court, objecting to parties like the MKP and EFF not submitting lists of candidates for proportional representation seats. The IEC's decision to allow parties to fill seats without submitting a list of candidates sparked controversy.
The upcoming by-elections in KwaZulu-Natal will be closely watched as they may indicate shifts in local support for various parties. The MKP and IFP are expected to retain their wards, but the outcome will provide insight into the parties' popularity in the region.
Key points
- The MKP's win in the area was secured despite an administrative error during the submission of the party's list of candidates
- By-elections will also be held in the ward where the IFP's Khethelo Mdluli won before his murder in September
- The IEC has confirmed that by-elections will be held in areas where candidates passed away or resigned
