Rustenburg - The EFF has again secured areas around mining towns in the North West as its turf despite poor results in the province overall in this election.
Most significantly, the party ruled the roost in Ward 26 in Madibeng - an area that includes Nkaneng and Wonderkop in Marikana - the site of the killing of 34 mineworkers by police in 2012.
The EFF scored 58% of the votes cast in Ward 26, the ANC received 34% and the UDM 4%.
In the 2014 national and provincial elections in the same area, the EFF scored 43% of votes while the ANC received 33%.
The area which is home to more than 20 000 people has become an ANC no-go area with strong anti-government sentiments among residents since 2012.
President Jacob Zuma skipped the area at an 11th hour during campaigning ahead of the local government elections instead opting to visit Maboloka also in Madibeng.
Zuma had been scheduled to campaign door to door in Wonderkop in the area where residents were waiting to give him a hostile reception.
Final results for Wards 31 and 32 which include the old Marikana RDP area and Marikana West under Rustenburg municipality were still outstanding but the ANC had taken the lead on Friday morning.
The EFF also scored big by winning two wards in Freedom Park in Rustenburg which are also surrounded by various mining shafts.
In total however, the ANC has now won 10 of the 18 councils in the North West with 60% of votes received, the EFF 15% and DA 14%.
Elections Bureau