Despite former president Jacob Zuma’s door-to-door campaign in Ward 7 of the Nkandla local municipality on Tuesday‚ the ANC lost to the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP).

The ANC’s Bahle Sibiya was contesting the ward with the IFP’s Nkosinathi Khumalo in the by-elections held on Wednesday.

Khumalo won by 1 441 votes‚ while Sibiya only attained 1‚221 votes. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) only got 4 votes.

The ward became vacant after the death of IFP councillor Mphumzeni Mthombeni earlier this year. The IFP‚ the National Freedom Party (NFP) and the EFF are also fielding candidates in the by-election.

Zuma charmed hundreds of ANC supporters when he visited the voting district in the Emangidini area‚ where he was welcomed with song and dance. He later urged residents to come out in numbers to vote for Sibiya on Wednesday. He said the area would only develop if residents dislodged the IFP.