The African National Congress (ANC) has emerged as early frontrunner in the wake of Monday’s 2021 Local Government Elections, with results confirming the party had secured three local municipalities.

The Local Government Election results started trickling in on Monday night at the Results Operation Centre in Pretoria, as soon as voting stations closed at 9pm.

By 8.51am, the ANC had secured 46% of the counted votes. Overall, the 1.5 million votes to its names saw it gain control of five municipalities. The party had won 282 seats. Coming in second,at this time, was the Democratic Alliance (DA) with 25% of ballots accounted for. It’s over 800 000 votes saw the party win 111 seats and one council. Other parties shared 8.8% (291 000), of the counted ballots.

Of the five councils won by the ANC at the time, three municipalities are in the Northern Cape, the country’s least populated province.

The ANC’s first coup was in the Khai-ma Local Municipality, in the Namakwa District.

With 4 403 (50.55%) votes in its favour, the ANC secured six in the council. With 1 709 (19.62%) votes against its name, the Namakwa Civic Movement (NCM) will have two representatives on the council.

The biggest loser here was the Democratic Alliance (DA), which saw its support drop dramatically to 11.7% compared to the 48.99% it achieved in the 2016 Local Government Elections. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Congress of the People (COPE) also secured one seat each in the council.

A coalition government will be required in the Thembelihle Local Municipality, in the Pixley Ka Seme District, after none of the contesting parties secured enough votes to control the 11 seat council.

The ANC’s 4 343 (39.81%) could only secure five seats for the party. The EFF, with 2 677 votes against its name, claimed three seats. The DA, the VF+ and SGB will all have a seat each in the council.

In Renosterberg Local Municipality, also in the Pixley ka Seme District, the ANC won 5 seats from 4 922 votes to its name. Its 53.01% was almost twice the votes secured by its closest competitor, the DA got three seats (28.75%) from its 2 669 votes. The EFF will have one seat in the council after achieving 14.1% of the votes cast.

Source: South African Government News Agency