Parties in popularity test

BY-ELECTIONS: MUNICIPAL POLLS IN LIMPOPO WILL BE CRUCIAL GAUGE OF STRENGTHS

- Eric Mthobeli Naki

Highly contested by-elections take place in Thabazimbi today, with more than 400 candidates vying for positions in the small rural iron-ore mining town in Limpopo.

It will be a battle between the ANC and Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto weSizwe party that will be of interest because it would be a test of their strengths against each other.

MK's fortunes could also be boosted by the fact that its secretary-general, Floyd Shivambu, is from Limpopo, where his previous party, the EFF, occupied the second spot after the ANC.

The ANC knew it had to take action and party president Cyril Ramaphosa arrived in the province on the eve of the by-elections.

MK dispatched its bigwigs to the area last week.

The Thabazimbi by-elections got the ANC worried for two reasons - it is facing a strong contest from MK and the party lost its majority in the municipal council in 2016 and could not regain it in the 2021 local government elections.

Before the municipality was dissolved in September and replaced with an interim administrator in terms of Section 139 of the constitution, the ANC held 11 of the 24 seats.