Mckenzie attributes PA's historic by-elections wins to being "busy on the ground"

THE Patriotic Alliance (PA) emerged as the biggest winner in the latest round of by-election in the Western Cape when taking a ward previously held by the ANC in Swellendam. 

It also caused an upset with a surprise victory in Soweto — long considered an ANC stronghold. 

PA Ward 6 of Swellendam Julian Alan Matthysen, a former ANC councillor, secured  811 votes. The ANC dropped to 486, and the DA to 303. 

The PA’s breakthrough came in Johannesburg’s Ward 29, covering the older Soweto townships of Diepkloof and Noordgesig.

PA candidate Ismael Steenkamp won the ward with 1,756 votes — just over 30% of the total. The ANC’s share collapsed from about 40% in the 2024 provincial elections to 22%. The EFF rose to 16%, and ActionSA garnered nearly 10%.  

The by-elections on Wednesday were across six wards in Gauteng, North West, Limpopo, Eastern Cape, and the Western Cape.

The ANC regained Ward 4 in the Langeberg Municipality’s Happy Valley, Bonnievale, with 47% of the vote. The DA followed with 28%, and the PA came third with 21%. ANC candidate Daniël Baadjies, a former Freedom Front Plus member, was credited with the party’s recovery in the area.

In the North West’s Ramotshere Moiloa Municipality, ActionSA’s Moses Moumakwa narrowly defeated ANC rival Ben Kabelo Malefo by two votes — 837 to 835. The EFF came third with 214 votes, and the PA had 123.

The ANC held onto Ward 15 in the Eastern Cape’s Dr AB Xuma Local Municipality, with 1,269 votes (69.4%). The EFF took 332, while the UDM and ATM received 115 and 112 votes respectively.

In Limpopo’s Musina Municipality, Ward 2 went to the ANC’s Raymond Mashudu Nyathi, who took 761 votes (62.74%). The DA’s Mashudu Malakia Phupheli came second with 170 votes, the EFF third with 78, and Build a Better South Africa received 72.

Reacting to the recent wins, PA leader Gayton McKenzie took to social media, saying: “When they were busy lying about us, we were busy on the ground, when they were busy photoshopping our pictures, we were busy working, when they were writing bad headlines, we were busy writing up people. Social media is not real life, your opinion is yours only. We are here now”

In a statement, the ANC said the results reflected the people’s enduring confidence in the party and affirmed the growing strength of its renewal and service delivery programme.

“These outcomes reaffirm the ANC bond with the people and strengthen our resolve to work harder, rebuild confidence and serve with integrity. The Local Government Action Plan, adopted earlier this year, has sharpened the movement’s focus on service delivery performance, discipline and accountability among councillors.” 

Cape Times