This, following the highly contested by-elections held this week, leaving the municipality with a hung council.

ALSO READ: Parties in North West mobilise support for Ditsobotla by-elections

The party has won 15 out of 20 contested wards, meaning the party failed to gain an outright majority which would have then allowed it to govern without a coalition partner. 

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and Democratic Alliance (DA) won two and three wards respectively.

Meanwhile, the ANC has welcomed the outcomes of the highly contested Ditsobotla by-elections in North West, held on 14 December 2022. The party says it remains committed to strengthening service delivery and fulfilling its quest to build better communities. ANC spokesperson in the province, Tumelo Maruping, says they call on all elected councillors not to lose sight of what he terms an "outpouring of confidence” in the party, and to ensure that quality service delivery is achieved, including stability in governance.

"The overwhelming majority of the people of Ditsobotla have again expressed their confidence in the ANC.  The task ahead is not easy and will require decisive, disciplined, and dedicated councillors to redirect all efforts to service delivery. This was indeed not an easy By-elections as the ANC had to robustly infuse self-introspection emanating from these results"

Political parties including the EFF, DA, and Freedom Front Plus (FF+), are some of the parties which contested the elections.

The North West provincial government dissolved the troubled Lichtenburg-based Ditsobotla Local Municipal Council on Thursday 15 September 2022.

ALSO READ: Troubled North West municipal council dissolved

"Whilst we fully accept the outcome of these by-elections, we remain indebted to our distinguished team of volunteers for displaying unparalleled commitment to the noblest work of campaigning and assisting their organisation to claim its ground. We thank them for their spirit of selflessness, which is synonymous with voluntarism in the movement," Maruping adds.

According to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) seat allocations, the ANC still has the majority in council.

The ANC received 40.92% from 30,648 Votes giving it 21 Seats, EFF received 24.76% from 18,543 Votes and 10 Seats, the DA then comes into the third position after it got 12.04% from 9,017 votes giving it 6 Seats council.

OFM News