DA claims two wards from ANC in Western Cape by-elections

The DA has swung two wards in the Western Cape previously held by the ANC.

Three by-elections were held on Tuesday, with the ANC picking up one win as it retained a ward in Gauteng.

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The results could be seen as an early barometer of sentiment in the respective regions, with the 2026 Local Government Elections less than 12 months away.

ANC defectors

The new DA councillors are no strangers to their wards, having both previously served for the ANC.

Ward 4 in the Cederberg Local Municipality was available after Paulus Strauss’ ANC membership was terminated.  

Now with the DA, Strauss will be the next ward councillor after beating his Patriotic Alliance candidate by 29 votes — a fraction of a percent.

The PA increased from 21% to 34%, with the ANC slipping from 31% in 2021 to 22% on Tuesday.

The DA also won ward 4 in the Langeberg Local Municipality, where Daniel Baadjies will be the new councillor.

The party secured 40.47% of the vote against the ANC’s 37%, with the parties being separated by 94 votes.

The DA increased its share of the votes by 12%, while the ANC declined by 10%.

The PA finished with 23% of the vote, a 2% increase from 2021.

Like Strauss, Baadjies had previously belonged to the ANC before defecting to the DA prior to the by-election.

ANC win in Gauteng

In Gauteng, Daniel Malebo was victorious in Mogale City Local Municipality’s ward 2 with 57.19% of the vote.

The ANC had previously won 73.04% of the vote in the 2021 municipal elections.

ActionSA was second in the ward with 29%, followed by the DA and MK party with 7% and 6%, respectively.

“The ANC not only lost two seats but slid in a West Rand stronghold.

“ActionSA had another good showing in a Gauteng township seat [and] the PA continues to grow in the Western Cape,” stated election analyst Wayne Sussman on X.

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