ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema has blamed the courts for the ruling party's defeat in several wards in by-elections in the Western Cape, Beeld newspaper reported on Friday.

"The judge voted on behalf of the people against the ANC," Malema told a crowd of about 7000 people in Cofimvaba in the Eastern Cape.

Western Cape ANC leader Mcebisi Skwatsha added: "Those who won should consider themselves lucky that we weren't there. Had we taken part in the elections, they would not have won in a single ward."

The ANC and the DA each won 11 seats in Wednesday's municipal by-elections, with the newly-formed Cope coming in a close third, according to figures released by the Independent Electoral Commission.

The IEC said on Thursday afternoon that 10 seats went to independent candidates, which Cope has claimed as its members.

The ANC planned to ask the Constitutional Court to nullify the results of 12 of Wednesday's Western Cape by-elections.

This after the Electoral Court upheld an IEC decision to bar the party's candidates for not meeting a registration deadline.