The African National Congress (ANC) and Democratic Alliance (DA) have retained their wards in by-elections contested in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo, the Independent Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) said on Thursday.

The DA held on to its ward in the Kou-Kamma Municipality in the Eastern Cape, though with a reduced margin of 55.8 percent of the votes cast compared to 60.5 percent in the 2016 municipal elections.

Julian Jansen was elected  the new councillor in the ward. Voter turnout was 59.32 percent compared to 65.46 percent in 2016.

In Limpopo the ANC retained ward 16 in the Mogalakwena municipality with 43.53 percent of votes cast compared to 44.64 percent in the 2016 municipal elections.

Lesibana Petrus Maloba was elected the new ward 16 councillor. Voter turnout was 31.24 percent compared to 39.63 percent in the 2016 poll.