The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) stunned the ruling African National Congress (ANC) with its first ward in Mpumalanga.
Mafia Surprise Fane, a former member of EFF’s student wing led in the contest which had ANC councillor and an independent candidate.
He won ward 11 in Nkomazi local municipality following by-elections in KaHhoyi, near Komatipoort.
The by-election was held Wednesday after the ANC removed six councillors. The party accused them of rejecting instructions not to nominate Johan Mkhatshwa to stand for Nkomazi mayoral position. Mkhatshwa is among the councillors sacked by ANC.
In spite of the order not to contest for mayor, Mkhatshwa went ahead and won in the November 2021 local government elections.
The ANC fired him and the other councillors a few weeks ago, leaving four wards without councillors.
Over 2,878 votes were cast in the by-election contested by Fane for EFF, Zandile Ngomane for ANC and Rose Khoza an independent candidate, according to the Independent Electoral Commission.
Fane won by 57.7% (1,662 votes), followed by Ngomane with 993 votes (34.5%) and Khoza, a former ANC councillor, received 223 votes.
EFF provincial chairperson Collen Sedibe said: “The reason we won that way is because we fielded an activity candidate [who] live with the people and work for the people. He’s not a new man but have been with the people of KaHhoyi and they know and understand him that he wants all the best for the community.
“That’s why we had and still have trust in him that this community is safe under his leadership. Actually in the province Fane is an example of how a ward councillor candidate of the EFF should be.”
Sedibe also praised Fane for continuing to work for his rural community “regardless of the useless ANC councillors who led there”.