Mtubatuba - The Independent Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) has finally released by-election results at KwaZulu-Natal's Mtubatuba Municipality, with the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) snatching the ward from the governing African National Congress (ANC).
''The party gained the seat previously won by the ANC during the 2016 municipal elections. The IFP received 47.19% of the votes cast compared to 37.19% won by the ANC in the municipal elections,'' the IEC said in a statement on Tuesday.
The by-election went ahead last Wednesday despite allegations by the ANC that more than 200 people on the voter's roll '' were from the nearby ward'' and that others had addresses that could not be verified.
The ANC's attempt to interdict the by-election failed at the Durban High Court.
Support at Mtubatuba, in northern KwaZulu-Natal, is split between the ANC and IFP. The IFP received 44.86% of the vote during the 2016 local polls, the ANC received 43.98%.
An IFP-led council was formed after a coalition agreement with the DA and the EFF.