Three by-elections will take place across the Western Cape on Wednesday, including in the little Karoo town of Oudtshoorn, where the Patriotic Alliance will look to make inroads.

This by-election is one of 11 by-elections to be held in the country on Wednesday and was triggered by the resignation of Chad Louw from the African National Congress (ANC). Louw, then aged 24, was the country’s youngest mayor following the 2021 by-election.

Read more in Daily Maverick: ANC taking legal advice after the ousting of Oudtshoorn’s young mayor

Louw left the ANC and joined the Patriotic Alliance (PA). However, he will not contest the by-election. The by-election will be contested by Samantha Octavia Damons (ANC), Nonzingo Leticia Mntwini (Economic Freedom Fighters), Bertram Jantjies (PA) and independent candidate, Eben Trevor Basson.

The DA, who placed third in the ward, is not on the ballot this time around.

Independent elections analyst Wayne Sussman told Daily Maverick this election would give parties such as the PA momentum ahead of the crucial 29 May polls. However, he cautioned of any successes as neither the DA nor Good party was on the ballot. The DA previously received 15.09% of the votes while Good received 7.22% of votes in the 2021 municipal elections. Sussman said the area was where, traditionally, Good leader Patricia de Lille has done well.

But Sussman added that the votes from the Advieskantoor party — who in 2021 received 22.04% of the votes — could benefit the PA. This was an indication of how they could “help the PA” he said.

Daily Maverick reported in 2023 and just last week that the Advieskantoor was working with the PA to unseat the DA majority in the upcoming elections.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Patriotic Alliance joins forces with small Oudtshoorn parties ‘to defeat DA and ANC in Western Cape’

Five parties join forces with Gayton McKenzie’s PA to take on DA in Western Cape

The by-election will take place in Dysselsdorp, a village about 30km east of Oudtshoorn. It is the site of a London Mission Station established in 1838.

McKenzie: DA and ANC working together

The by-election has not been without accusations levelled between political parties.

PA leader Gayton McKenzie claimed the DA was working with the ANC in this by-election. “We heard that the ANC has been having talks about working together,” he said. “I thought this was farfetched, but for the first time since their existence, the DA has not a candidate in Dysselsdorp and the Western Cape is their stronghold. Why would they not put a candidate? They are ganging up on the PA.”

ANC spokesperson in the province, Muhammad Khalid Sayed told Daily Maverick that this was not true.

DA leader, Tertius Simmers also denied that his party was working with the ANC in this by-election. “Where a ward did not meet a specific support threshold level in 2021, the DA Western Cape PEC will not contest such a by-election on principle. We are aware of the local ANC spreading misleading information in Dysselsdorp that DA supporters will be voting for their candidate, this is untrue in any form and proves how desperate the ANC have become.” DM

Daily Maverick will be in Oudtshoorn on Wednesday for coverage of the by-election. Watch out for our next report.