PA wins hotly contested by-election for Joburg’s Ward 29

The Patriotic Alliance (PA) has won the hotly contested by-election for Johannesburg’s Ward 29, taking it from the African National Congress (ANC).

The PA’s Ismael Steenkamp is the new councillor for the Soweto-based ward, which includes Diepkloof and Noordgesig.

It became vacant in July following the death of ANC councillor Brenda Dammie.

Noordgesig is predominantly a coloured township, a demographic which usually PA polls the highest amongst.

About 70% of the PA’s total votes in this by-election came from a single voting station, the Noordgesig Primary School.

The ANC, which previously held the ward, saw its support in the area drop by a staggering 16 percentage points, going from 39% to 23%.

Meanwhile, the controversial civil-group-turned-political-party, Operation Dudula, was participating in its first ever by-election.

It only managed to get 3% of the total votes cast in Ward 29.