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By-Elections 2025: ANC Breakthrough in Mpumalanga as IFP Surges in KZN

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2 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Chiraag

South Africa by elections 2025, Mpumalanga election results, KwaZulu Natal by election, ANC IFP voting, local government elections, Joburg ETC

A tale of two provinces at the ballot box

South Africa’s final ward by-elections of 2025 may have played out far from the bright lights of national politics, but the results are already stirring big conversations. In one corner of Mpumalanga, the African National Congress clawed back ground it had previously lost. In rural KwaZulu-Natal, the Inkatha Freedom Party showed that its regional muscle is far from fading.

Taken together, the outcomes offer a revealing snapshot of how voter loyalties are shifting as the country edges closer to the 2026 local government elections.

ANC regains momentum in Mpumalanga

In Ward 14 in Mkhondo, the seat had been held by an independent councillor, a sign of voter frustration in past elections. This time, the African National Congress made a convincing return.

In the Harmony Park area, the ANC secured 54 percent of the vote, a notable jump from the 38 percent it managed in earlier polls. The result suggests a renewed confidence among voters who may be looking for stability and access to government structures ahead of next year’s municipal elections.

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party followed with 36 percent, while smaller players such as the Assegaai Independent Movement of South Africa edged past the Economic Freedom Fighters, underlining how fragmented the local political landscape has become.

IFP strengthens its rural stronghold in KwaZulu-Natal

Hundreds of kilometres away in uMfolozi, the story unfolded very differently. Here, the Inkatha Freedom Party not only held onto its seat but also expanded its support in a decisive way.

The party grew its share of the vote from 51 percent to an emphatic 62 percent. Perhaps more striking was the collapse in ANC support, which fell from 42 percent in 2021 to just 16 percent in this contest. The MK party finished second, pushing the ANC into third place.

Political analysts on social media were quick to frame the result as a clear signal that the IFP remains the dominant force in parts of northern KwaZulu-Natal, particularly in rural wards where local identity and long-standing party loyalties still carry weight.

Why these local results matter nationally

By-elections often fly under the radar, yet they can reveal trends that general elections later confirm. These two wards point to a country where political support is becoming increasingly regional and contested.

The outcomes also land at a moment of structural change. The Electoral Commission of South Africa has confirmed that ward boundaries across the country are being reviewed ahead of the 2026 local government elections. KwaZulu-Natal will see the biggest increase in wards, rising from 901 in 2021 to 921, driven by population growth and migration.

Mpumalanga will also gain additional wards, while provinces such as Gauteng and the Eastern Cape will see a reduction. These adjustments aim to balance representation, but they will also reshape the political battleground in subtle ways.

Reading the mood of the electorate

For voters in places like Mkhondo and uMfolozi, these by-elections were less about national headlines and more about everyday issues such as service delivery, access to jobs, and trust in local leadership. The results suggest that parties able to speak convincingly to those concerns still have room to grow, even in areas once considered lost causes.

As South Africa moves toward another pivotal election cycle, these quiet midweek ballots have delivered a loud message. Local politics remains fiercely competitive, and no party can afford to take its heartland for granted.