Former President Jacob Zuma’s Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) party has suffered a heavy defeat after it failed to secure more than 1% in its by-elections inception in Limpopo on Wednesday.
The by-elections, that took place in Limpopo seven weeks before the 2024 national and provincial elections, were won by the African National Congress (ANC) winning a seat previously held by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in the 2021 municipal elections.
This also happened in the Eastern Cape where MKP again failed to get more than a percent.
About 11 by-elections were held on Wednesday in provinces across the country.
People who commented on the matter told IOL that MKP was just a big thing in KwaZulu-Natal, claiming that it only gained traction because of Zuma.
The losses also hit home for the EFF as two of their trusted members, Jacob Seshoka and Jossey Buthane drastically left the party.
Seshoka who was charged for allegedly stealing guns and ammunition at a police station in Polokwane was an EFF councillor in Ward 10 where the ANC beat them.
He has since stepped down. This is where EFF leader Julius Malema usually casts his vote.
Former red berets Limpopo leader Jossey Buthane has also rejoined the ANC.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) released the results on Wednesday which showed the voter turnout was 48.5%.
Numbers are as follows: ANC got 1,811 votes, while the EFF received 1,474 votes. ActionSA collected 63 votes and MKP got 23 votes.
Meanwhile, the Patriot Alliance (PA) made a clean sweep in the Western Cape after winning two wards and becoming the second in the other.
IOL Politics