The ANC Tshwane Regional Executive has expressed confidence ahead of Wednesday’s by-election in Ward 57 in Centurion, where the party hopes to unseat the Democratic Alliance.
The ward became vacant following the death of a DA councillor. Speaking on the sidelines of the final leg of campaigning, ANC Tshwane regional spokesperson Joel Masilela ka Mahlangu said the party had run a strong campaign and received positive feedback from residents in what has long been a DA stronghold.
“You definitely don’t go into a battlefield with the intention of losing. We are hopeful because the candidate we are fielding, Comrade Elias Mokoatedi, is a young and vibrant individual from one of the informal settlements in the area,” Masilela ka Mahlangu said.
He said the ANC has been at the forefront of dismantling apartheid-era spatial planning that continues to define areas such as Centurion.
“There is still a belief among some residents that black people are not supposed to live here. The ANC has been spearheading the de-racialisation of these apartheid special development frameworks,” he said.
Masilela ka Mahlangu added that the ANC candidate could bring change and inclusivity to the ward.
“Fielding such a candidate seeks to advance the dismantling of the apartheid spatial development framework, alongside other developments the ANC would be able to bring,” he said.
The ANC is using the by-election as part of a broader pushback against the DA, which lost control of Tshwane last year after eight years in power. Masilela ka Mahlangu described the DA’s tenure as marked by “monumental failures”.
He said communities have become increasingly receptive to the ANC since the DA’s fall.
“Over time, the DA has not been able to do justice to the residents of this area. As we criss-cross the ward, we have found even people of colour volunteering and expressing appreciation for the work being done by the ANC,” he said.
He added that disgruntled voters may reconsider their political choices ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
The ANC currently leads a coalition government in the City of Tshwane, which includes the Economic Freedom Fighters and Action SA. Masilela ka Mahlangu said public sentiment suggests the DA could suffer further losses in the next local government elections expected in 2026.