South Africa: ANC Puts On Eastern Cape Show of Force in Run-Up to Municipal Polls With 2-Ward Sweep in Buffalo City

The ANC had a strong night in the final round of by-elections in the Eastern Cape in the run-up to the local government elections in November. The party comfortably retained both Buffalo City Metro wards in polls with encouraging turnouts.

Ward 1 (Duncan Village Pefferville) Buffalo City: ANC 45% (46%) DA 23% (41%) UDM 16% (1%) PA 13% (1%) EFF 1% (8%) SACP 1% PCM <1% (1%) OLA <1%

The setting: Ward 1 is west of the KuGompo City (formerly East London) centre. It has three distinct residential areas. Duncan Village is a township which has produced world-champion boxers Mbulelo Botile and Phumelela Cafu. Pefferville was proclaimed a coloured area during apartheid. Braelyn has historically had a strong Indian and Muslim community.

The 2021 local government elections: The ANC beat the DA by 178 votes and won the ward because of its wide margins over the DA in Duncan Village - 44% of the voters in the ward were registered in Duncan Village. The ANC beat the DA by 554 and 385 votes in the two Duncan Village districts, winning 70% and 71% of the vote, respectively. The DA beat the EFF in those two districts, taking 17% and 14%. The EFF garnered 12% in both districts. The turnout in Duncan Village was slightly higher than the ward average, with 41% of the registered voting population showing up.

The DA won the other three voting districts, but it was not...