UDM president Bantu Holomisa.
The United Democratic Movement has taken Ward 30 from the ANC in a by-election held in the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality.
“Credit must go to our young man there who grew up in the UDM,” said party leader Bantu Holomisa on Thursday.
“The message to our ward councillor is he must at all times be a mere conveyor belt and take all the needs of the people straight to the municipality and then [give] feedback, keep the people informed … He must humble himself.”
The ANC, Democratic Alliance and UDM contested the ward, which became vacant when the previous ANC councillor died.
With the UDM victory in the KwaMagxaki ward, the ANC has lost a seat in council, leaving the party with a narrow lead with 62 of 120 seats.
The ANC elected South African Football Association president Danny Jordaan as mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay earlier this year.
Holomisa thanked those who had voted for UDM candidate Mandla Louis Faltein in Wednesday’s by-election and said this was a sign that things were changing politically.
“It’s a good sign but what we need to do, now that we have a footprint there, is work wall-to-wall wards and make sure that for people to say they will only vote for the ANC in this country is not cast in stone.
“The people have choices to look elsewhere and I hope that the councillor will rise to the occasion,” said Holomisa.
Other by-election results
By-elections took place in four provinces on Wednesday.
The ANC retained both wards in the Free State. Ward 14 of the Maluti a Phofung municipality (Qwa-Qwa) and Ward 8 of the Mantsopa municipality (Ladybrand) became vacant when previous ANC councillors died.
In Gauteng, the DA retained Ward 55 in the Tshwane metro municipality.
The DA and the ANC retained their wards in the two by-elections held in Mpumalanga.
The ANC held on to Ward 3 in the Pixley Ka Seme municipality (Volksrust), which was uncontested.
The DA retained Ward 17 in the Mbombela municipality (Nelspruit). – News24.com