Metsimaholo municipality in the Free State will once again be a hung council after ANC lost three seats in a re-election. The municipality was put under administration and dissolved after the coalition-led government failed to pass its budget for 2017-18. The by-elections in all 21 wards were highly contested and political heavyweights such as DA leader Mmusi Maimane and EFF leader Julius Malema campaigned in the municipality ahead of the re-election, which took place on Wednesday. The IEC tweeted the results on Friday, with the ANC winning 16 seats — down from 19 in August — the DA 11, the EFF eight seats and the South African Communist Party three seats. The African Independent Congress ( AIC,) Forum for Service Delivery, Metsimaholo Community Association and the Freedom Front Plus won one seat each. The council has 42 seats in total, with 22 needed for a majority government . It was the first time the SACP had contested for political power against the ANC, its alliance partner to...
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