The ANC saw its support drop from 42% in 2021 to 16% in the King Cetshwayo Municipality ward by-election.
The results from the final two ward by-elections of 2025 are in.
By-elections were held on Wednesday in Ward 14 in Mkhondo, Mpumalanga, and in a ward in uMfolozi, KwaZulu-Natal.
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View MapThe ward in Mpumalanga had been held by an independent, while IFP held a slim majority in the ward located in the King Cetshwayo municipality.
ANC and IFP victories
In the Harmony Park region of Mkhondo, the ANC looks set to hold the seat until the local government elections next year.
The party held off the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party to claim a 54% majority victory, an increase from 38% in the previous polls.
MK party followed with 36%, with the Assegaai Independent Movement of South Africa at 6%, eclipsing the EFF’s 4%.
The IFP retained their seat in uMfolozi, increasing its share of the vote from 51% to 62%.
MK party relegated the ANC to third in the ward with 21%, while the ANC’s support plummeted from 42% in 2021 to 16% on Wednesday.
“The IFP are on the march in King Cetshwayo. The IFP beat back MK and ANC in this rural corner of Northern KZN,” stated election analyst Wayne Sussman on X.
More wards for KZN
KZN will be one of five provinces to have itself split into more wards for the 2026 local government elections.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) conducted its ward review on 10 December, after which it released the number of wards per province.
However, the IEC has yet to release the new ward footprints for next year’s elections.
The IEC explained that increases in eligible voters, as well as migration patterns, require a review of ward structures to ensure equal representation.
KZN has seen the largest increase, up from 901 in 2021 to 921 in 2026, followed by the Western Cape, which will have 10 extra wards, increasing from 406 to 416
Mpumlanga also saw an increase from 400 to 408, while the Northern Cape and Free State increased by one and two wards, respectively.
Gauteng’s wards decreased by three, North West by one and the Eastern Cape by seven, while Limpopo went unchanged.
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