In the context of the Thabazimbi local government elections in South Africa, a tense political climate persists after the recent by-elections held on Wednesday. With no party having secured an absolute majority, the Thabazimbi Municipality in Limpopo Province has found itself in a political impasse.
The ANC emerged as the majority party, winning 39.65% of the vote and securing 10 seats in the municipal council. However, this score does not allow it to secure the 12 seats needed to govern autonomously. The second party in terms of seats is the Democratic Alliance (DA), with 16.41% of the vote and 4 seats, followed by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) with 13.32% and 3 seats.
Smaller parties also made inroads, with the Labour Party of South Africa and the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) each securing two seats, and the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party and the Thabazimbi Residents Association (TRA) each securing one seat.
With a turnout of just 38.55%, the Electoral Commission of South Africa announced that the municipality would remain in a political deadlock, requiring negotiations between the various parties to form coalitions and establish functional governance.
However, the ANC challenged the proportional distribution of seats in the municipal council, arguing that it should have been given a larger share based on the number of votes received. This highlights the challenges facing the Thabazimbi municipality, which has previously been plagued by internal conflict, poor financial management and service delivery issues.
Since 2016, the municipality has been plagued by political tensions and chronic instability. In 2021, despite winning 47% of the vote, the ANC lost control of the municipality to a DA-led coalition. A situation of government paralysis then set in, with two mayors and two municipal managers running parallel councils, unable to approve budgets or settle debts to Eskom and the regional water authority.
Leadership disputes within the Thabazimbi Residents Association exacerbated the situation, leading to court disputes and a complete paralysis of governance. Municipal employees went unpaid for months, and the municipality owed millions of rands to Eskom and Magalies Water.
Faced with this crisis, the Limpopo provincial government and the National Council of Provinces had to step in, placing the municipality under administration under section 139 of the Constitution in October. This intervention was justified by the lack of cooperation of the council leaders, preoccupied by their internal power quarrels to the detriment of the interests of the citizens..
The recent by-elections were one of the most contested in recent years, symbolizing the critical issue that local governance represents for the various political parties. Despite the large number of candidates and parties contesting, no independent candidate managed to win a seat, thus confirming the need for coalitions to govern the Thabazimbi Municipality.
In conclusion, the by-elections in Thabazimbi highlighted the persistent challenges facing the municipality, requiring a concerted political approach and compromises between the various stakeholders to ensure effective governance and quality public service for residents.