A civic movement that grew out of service protests in Ngcobo won three council seats in the local government elections. The ANC also lost its majority in several Eastern Cape councils, GroundUp reported.
The Ngcobo Yethu Civic Organisation (NYCO) stood for the first time in the Dr AB Xuma Local Municipality. The ANC kept the council with 24 of the 38 seats. It held 32 of 39 seats in 2021. The ATM grew from one seat to seven and became the main opposition.
In June, NYCO led hundreds of residents in a march in support of municipal workers. The workers said the municipality had not paid over their tax, medical aid, provident fund and UIF contributions.
“They are angry because their money has been stolen,” NYCO chairperson Gcobani Nkwele told GroundUp.
In August, NYCO led a shutdown of the town. Trucks blocked the R61 and taxi operators joined the protest. On 17 August, municipal manager Khathutshelo Mulaudzi was placed on precautionary suspension pending an investigation. The municipality also agreed to reinstate workers who were unlawfully dismissed or suspended.
The day before the election, two NYCO members were arrested. One of them was a proportional representation candidate. They allegedly collected voting material from Ngcobo police station and claimed an IEC official had sent them, GroundUp reported.
Nkwele said NYCO would hold the council to account and protect workers’ rights. He said it would also make sure communities receive services.
In the Makana Local Municipality, the Makana United Civic Movement (MUCM) won four seats. The ANC won ten of the 25 seats, down from 14 in 2021. It is the first time the party has lost its majority there. Local businesspeople and residents founded MUCM about six months before the election.
“We will go into any coalition that puts the best interests of the people of Makhanda [first]. It would not be desirable to form a coalition with the ANC,” MUCM chairperson Andile Peter told GroundUp.
After the 2021 elections, the ANC had a majority on 29 of the province’s 33 metro and local councils. It now has a majority in 19 so far, according to GroundUp. Its share of the provincial ward vote fell from 62% to 45%. Twelve councils are hung.
The ANC also lost control of the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality. It fell from 44 seats to 31 of the 68 seats, four short of a majority. Residents there have protested for years over blocked prepaid electricity meters, water shortages and unusable toilets.
“I just hope this is a wake-up call for the ANC,” community activist Sibulele Mninzi told GroundUp.
In Buffalo City, the ANC won 42 of the 100 seats, down from 61. It is the first time the party has lost its majority since Buffalo City became a metro in 2011. The UDM came second with 19 seats, up from one. The DA won 17 seats.
In Nelson Mandela Bay, the DA won 53 of the 120 seats, up from 48 in 2021. It needs 61 seats for a majority. The ANC fell from 48 seats to 32. The metro has been run by coalitions since 2016 and had four mayors in the last term.
Source: this article is based on reporting by GroundUp. Image: GroundUp. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.