2008 South African municipal by-elections

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A series of South African municipal by-elections was held in 2008 for ward seats on local municipal councils throughout the country. These by-elections were held to replace deceased, resigned or incapacitated councillors.

Contents

January

Two seats in one province were up for election on 23 January.

KwaZulu-Natal

February

Two seats in one province were up for election on 13 February.

Mpumalanga

5 March

One seat in one province was up for election on 5 March.

KwaZulu-Natal

19 March

Five seats in one province were up for election on 19 March.

Western Cape

April

Five seats in three provinces were up for election on 2 April.

Eastern Cape

Free State

KwaZulu-Natal

7 May

On 7 May, Vusumuzi Moses Ncube of the IFP was elected as councillor for Ward 3 in Mtubatuba (Mtubatuba) – KZ275.

21 May

11 seats in 6 provinces were up for election on 21 May.

Western Cape

Eastern Cape

Northern Cape

KwaZulu-Natal

North West

Gauteng

July

On 15 July, a municipal by-election was held in five provinces.

Eastern Cape

Two wards were contested: In Ward 26 in Qaukeni Municipality [Flagstaff (Ingquza Hill)] – EC153 Sizakele Theophilus Hlongwane of the ANC is the new councillor, while Dean Neville Biddulph of the DA is the new councillor in Ward two in Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (Port Elizabeth) – NMA.

Gauteng

Ward 55 in Tshwane Metro (Pretoria) – City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (TSH) was won by Suzette Fourie of the DA.

KwaZulu-Natal

Ten by-elections were scheduled to take place in KwaZulu-Natal of which only nine took place. The Natal High Court interdicted the holding of the by-election in Ward four in eMadlangeni (Utrecht) – KZN253 on 15 July. The interdict was issued pending the outcome of a Court Application by M. E. Khoza involving the decision by the Executive Council of KwaZulu-Natal to remove him from office as a councillor of the eMadlangeni Municipal Council. Of the nine, eight were won by the IFP and one by the DA.

The new councillor for DA is Anton Michael Raubenheimer in Ward three in Endumeni Local Municipality (Dundee) – KZN241. This ward was previously held by the IFP. The new councillors for the IFP in KwaZulu-Natal are:

Northern Cape

Ward two in Moshaweng Municipality (Kgalagadi) – NC451 was won by Kebonye Gladys Gasehete of the African National Congress.

Western Cape

Ward 103 in City of Cape Town (Cape Town) – CPT was won by Johannes Frederik Hermanus van der Merwe of the DA.

September

Four seats in four provinces were up for election on 10 September:

Free State

Gauteng

KwaZulu-Natal

Limpopo

15 October

9 seats in 4 provinces were up for election on 15 October.

Free State

Gauteng

KwaZulu-Natal

Mpumalanga

29 October

Three seats in two provinces were up for election on 29 October:

Eastern Cape

Western Cape

December

On 10 December, a by-election was held in 41 local municipality seats in 5 provinces.

By province

Free State

two by-elections took place and both wards were won by the African National Congress:

  • Simphiwe Louis Phokwana in Ward 17 in Matjhabeng (Welkom) FS184, and
  • Petrus Monyatso Moloedi in Ward 2 in Nketoana (Reitz) FS193

Gauteng

three by-elections took place.

KwaZulu-Natal

eight by-elections took place in KwaZulu-Natal. The new councillors for the African National Congress are:

  • Sithembiso Gumede in Ward 56 in eThekwini (Durban) ETH
  • Rommell Winston Jackson in Ward 1 in Mpofana (Mooirivier) KZN223, and
  • Malandela Lincoln Mlotshwa in Ward 20 in Emnambithi-Ladysmith (Ladysmith) KZN232
  • Lauren Anne de Scally of the Democratic Alliance won in Ward 2 in Umngeni (Howick) KZN222

The Inkatha Freedom Party has four new councillors in KwaZulu-Natal. They are:

  • Jeon Zakhe Mabuyakhulu in Ward 16 in Nongoma (Nongoma) KZN265. This ward was uncontested
  • Vukani Patrick Langa in Ward 24 in Ulundi (Ulundi) KZN266
  • Zethu Betty Ngobe in Ward 12 in Jozini (Mkuze) KZN272
  • Zwelithini Sedrick Gumede in Ward 8 in Mandeni (Mandeni) KZN291

Northern Cape

Ward 5 in Dikgatlong (Barkly West) was won by Naledi Georginah Molete of the African National Congress.

Western Cape

27 seats were contested in Western Cape province.

Cape Town

Of the eight wards contested in the City of Cape Town (Cape Town), two went to the Democratic Alliance and six went to independent candidates. They are:

  • Monwabisi Godfrey Mbaliswana in Ward 33
  • Glenville Bongani Mini in Ward 34
  • Boyisile Mafilika in Ward 35
  • Xolile Owen Gophe in Ward 52
  • Nomamfene Theresa Bottoman in Ward 87, and
  • Mzwandile Petterson Matiwane in Ward 88

The new councillors for the Democratic Alliance are –

  • Faiza Adams in Ward 45; and
  • Natalie Lorraine Bent in Ward 75
Rest of province

In the rest of the province, the new councillors are: For the African National Congress

  • Curnell Nelie Barends in Ward 5 in Breede Valley (Worcester) WC025
  • Nceba Sindiliba Ndyalvan in Ward 17 in Breede Valley (Worcester) WC025, and
  • Nontembiso Ellen Mpokotye in Ward 10 in Breede River/Winelands (Robertson) WC026

For the Democratic Alliance:

  • Judith Mouton in Ward 2 in Cederberg (Citrusdal) WC012
  • Koos Brandt in Ward 4 in Cederberg (Citrusdal) WC012
  • Quintin Groenewald in Ward 5 in Cederberg (Citrusdal) WC012
  • Joyce Ann Kroutz in Ward 26 in Drakenstein (Paarl) WC023
  • Frans Albertus Kellerman in Ward 28 in Drakenstein (Paarl) WC023
  • Kiro Jacobie Tiemie in Ward 1 in Theewaterskloof (Caledon) WC031
  • Samuel Fredericks in Ward 9 in Theewaterskloof (Caledon) WC031

For the Independent Democrats:

  • Delina Susan Goedeman in Ward 2 in Matzikama (Vrededal) WC011
  • Benjamin van Rooy in Ward 3 in Cederberg (Citrusdal) WC012
  • Ruth Belldine Arnolds in Ward 7 in Drakenstein (Paarl) WC023
  • Gerald John Witbooi in Ward 30 in Drakenstein (Paarl) WC023
  • James Johannes Jacobus Pheiffer in Ward 7 in Theewaterskloof (Caledon) WC031

The following councillors are independent councillors:

  • Raynold Mathew van Rooy in Ward 4 in Bergrivier (Velddrif) WC013
  • Spasie Nontuthuzelo Kika in Ward 21 in Drakenstein (Paarl) WC023
  • Freddie Speelman in Ward 3 in Breede Valley (Worcester) WC025
  • Philip Tyira in Ward 16 in Breede Valley (Worcester) WC025

Controversy

ANC barring from ward elections

The ANC was barred from fielding candidates in 12 of the 27 seats up for election in Western Cape by the IEC, a decision that was contested by the ANC.

Participation of COPE

The newly formed COPE party did not field candidates due to it not being formally constituted and registered with the Independent Electoral Commission in time. However, all ten independent councillors who won seats in the Western Cape were also members of the COPE party, and the by-election was seen as the first electoral test for the party.

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