ANC triumphs in by-elections

2009-05-07 13:00

Bloemfontein - The ANC has won six by-elections in two southern Free State municipalities, the party said on Thursday.

Free State ANC spokesperson Teboho Sikisi said in one ward, in the Naledi local municipality (Dewetsdorp), the party received 64% of the votes. In the rest of the contested wards in Naledi and the Gariep region the party won by 70% or more.

"We won them all, it's a landslide victory in the region," Sikisi said.

Nevertheless, a spokesperson for the Congress of the People (Cope) Mahlomola Ralebese condemned what he called the "obvious and wanton abuse of state resources" by the ANC during by-election campaigning in Naledi.

"Members of the public are unable to be assisted because almost all municipal employees have been forcibly drafted to work on the ANC campaign since before the general elections and particularly as of Monday, May 4," he said in a statement.

Bias

Ralebese said two presiding officers, one in Dewetsdorp and another in Reddersburg, had conducted themselves badly.

"They have been biased against Cope and promoted the interests of the governing party."

He said the matter would be discussed with the provincial electoral officer.

Sikisi countered by saying that Cope did not want to accept defeat gracefully. He said Cope's allegations of abuse of state resources during by-elections were "an old line".

Sikisi said Cope was not "rooted" within communities and therefore did not appeal to voters.

KZN by-election

Meanwhile, the ANC won two wards, including one from the IFP, during by-elections held in KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday.

"The ANC won two wards, including an IFP ward, with a huge majority," said ANC acting secretary Sihle Zikalala on Thursday.

It won ward 15, the Umlalazi municipality, with 833 votes to IFP's 797.

The ANC also won ward 10, in the Ingwe municipality, with 1 364 votes to the IFP's 171.

"The people of KwaZulu-Natal are continuing to speak very loud and clear that their voice should be the ANC in all spheres of government, from national, provincial to local and ward level," said Zikalala.

- SAPA