South Africa: Pa Shocks ANC in Soweto and Swellendam, Actionsa Notches Historic Ward Win in North West

16 October 2025
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
By Wayne Sussman

The Patriotic Alliance won a ward off the ANC in Soweto and also in Swellendam in the Western Cape, while ActionSA won its first by-election by taking a ward off the ANC in a rural part of North West. The ANC retained seats in three other wards, with an impressive showing in Bonnievale in the Western Cape where it fielded a former Freedom Front Plus candidate.

The Patriotic Alliance won a ward off the ANC in Soweto and also in Swellendam in the Western Cape, while ActionSA won its first by-election by taking a ward off the ANC in a rural part of North West. The ANC retained seats in three other wards, with an impressive showing in Bonnievale in the Western Cape where it fielded a former Freedom Front Plus candidate.

Gauteng

Ward 29 (Diepkloof Noordgesig) Johannesburg: PA 30% (13%) ANC 23% (39%) EFF 16% (12%) ActionSA 10% (14%) MK 4% DA 4% (10%) Operation Dudula 3% ACP 3% AIC 3% (4%) AMC 2% COPE 1% (<1%) Ind-Tetyana

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The setting: Ward 29 is southwest of the city centre. It encompasses numerous parts of Soweto and sits in the east of the town, with much of the ward just off New Canada Road. It includes Diepkloof, Noordgesig, parts of Orlando East and a section of Pennyville. Soccer stars Lucas Radebe and Benedict Vilakazi hail from Diepkloof. Diepkloof has the most registered voters in this ward (just under 40%). Zulu is the most-spoken language, with Sesotho, Xitsonga and isiXhosa also prominent. Noordgesig is a predominantly Afrikaans-speaking coloured community. It has some of the most beautiful murals...

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