Durban - The ANC snatched a municipality in Northern KwaZulu-Natal from the IFP during a by-election this week.
The by-election took place in Ward 4, Jozini, on Wednesday. The ruling party’s candidate in Jozini municipality, Tholumuzi Zikalala, beat the IFP’s Zamkusa Mabaso and Matsheketshe Manyanga, of the National Freedom Party.
The ward previously was won by the IFP, but was left vacant when its councillor, Mbongeni Nxumalo, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the rape of a 14-year-old girl.
The election was due to take place early this year, but the IEC postponed it after suspicions that people had been bussed in from other wards to vote.
IEC spokesman Thabani Ngwiri said the commission had instituted a probe and discovered that 1 300 people had been registered illegally.
“We then used the 2014 general elections voters role for this by-election to avoid another fraudulent registration,” he said.
The Mercury