The IFP's strategy to topple the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal is paying off in spades.

The IFP snatched yet another ward from the ANC during the by-elections on Wednesday.

The party also helped its coalition partner in Newcastle, Team Sugar South Africa (TSSA), retain its ward and fend off the ANC and EFF.

The ANC's years of dominance in ward 4 in Mtubatuba, north of KZN, came to a shattering end after the IFP won 54% of the votes compared to the ANC's 43%.

The ANC managed 42% and the IFP 28% during the 2021 local government elections.

The IFP now enjoys more support in the hung Mtubatuba Municipality which is governed by an IFP-led coalition.

The win increased IFP seats to 21, while the ANC will go down from 15 to 14 seats.

The EFF has four seats, while the DA, AIC, UDM, NFP, and an independent candidate have one seat each.

In another by-election, the ANC's campaign in ward 31 in Newcastle failed to net enough votes for the party to win.

TSSA retained the ward with the aid of its coalition partner, the IFP.

The loss hampered the ANC's hopes of clawing back to the mayoral position the party lost to the IFP-led municipality in the 2021 local government election.

TSSA dished out expensive gifts, including microwaves, stoves and fridges, ahead of the by-election.

They scored 50% on Wednesday, up from the 31% they managed in 2021.

The ANC took the second spot with 34% a slight increase from the 29% it got during the 2021 local government election.

Interestingly, the IFP, which was forced to campaign against its candidate due to the last-minute deal the party struck with TSSA in the ward, got 10% of the vote. This means that some IFP supporters went against the party line to support TSSA in the ward and chose to vote for the IFP candidate.

In the two by-elections held in the Western Cape, the DA defended their hold on ward 5 in Cape Town, while the Cederberg First Residents Association (CFRA) did the same in ward 6 in Cederberg.