MONDAY, 3.30PM
THE African National Congress had won four of the five contested wards in Sunday’s by-election in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands town of Richmond, scoring a landslide victory over its main rival in the area, the National Consultative Forum.
Leader of the forum in the area, fired ANC MPL Sifiso Nkabinde suffered a humiliating defeat, securing only 43 votes against 119 for the ANC’s Rampathie Naidoo in ward eight. Nkabinde was not available for comment on Monday.
The Richmond area has been tense since Nkabinde was expelled from the ANC in March, allegedly for being an apartheid spy and an agent provocateur, with ANC Richmond mayor Rodney van der Byl assassinated outside his home in May after refusing to step down in solidarity with Nkabinde. Sunday’s by-election followed the resignation of nine of the town’s councillors in support of Nkabinde.
ANC councillor in ward one, NJ Mkhize, received 761 votes against the NCF-aligned candidate’s 110. In ward two the ANC’s SZ Mjwara secured 504 votes to the opposition’s 95 votes. In ward four the ANC’s Bheki Mchunu received 601 votes while his opposition obtained 176 votes. In ward three, independent candidate SH Gwamanda obtained 968 votes against his opposition’s 67 votes.
Richmond’s ANC mayor, Andrew Ragavaloo, who is Van der Byl’s brother-in-law, said the ANC is elated by the outcome.
MONDAY, 5.30PM
Despite its resounding defeat, the NCF on Monday was upbeat about its future prospects. NCF midlands secretary Sifiso Bhengu said the NCF accepts the results as free and fair and will co-operate with the ANC where necessary. Bhengu said given the intimidation of its supporters and the lack of resources for campaigning, the NCF had done well. In a statement the ANC said the results put paid to claims by the NCF that it enjoys any significant support in KwaZulu-Natal in particular and the country in general.