Parties to be tested in by-elections

A TOTAL of 20 676 people are set to vote this week in five byelections across four provinces: two in the Eastern Cape, one in the Free State, one in KwaZuluNatal and one in Limpopo.

All the elections will take place on Wednesday, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) said on Friday.

In the Eastern Cape’s Emalahleni Municipality, ward 17 will go uncontested as Zamekile Papiso of the ANC is the only candidate.

In Matatiele, where residents are strongly opposed to its incorporation into the Eastern Cape since 2005 after being moved from KwaZulu-Natal, ward eight will be contested by Nomfundo Myrah Mongoato, an independent candidate, Morena Emmanuel Faro of the African Independent Congress, Tsiliso Patrick Motjope of the ANC and Sandile Eric Nyamakazi of the DA. The ward became vacant after the ANC councillor resigned.

Free State’s Matjhabeng Municipality (ward 33), which became vacant after the DA councillor resigned from the party, will be contested by the ANC’s Anthony Khelemethe Nakedi, against the DA’s Roquet Beneke, Thato Esther Phoofolo of the United Residents Front and Cornel Fourie of the Freedom Front Plus.

In KwaZulu-Natal, the elec- tion will be in ward 1, Nqutu Municipality.

It was held by the IFP, but became vacant after the death of its representative. Bongani Mncube of the ANC will be contesting alongside Zanele Sithole of the IFP and Mtshengiseni Themba Ndlovu of the National Freedom Party.

The Limpopo elections will be in ward 12, Blouberg Municipality. Phuti Phineas Nkoana of the DA will be contesting against Ankie Lucia Sebidiwa of Cope and Mashilo Moses Kgwatalala of the ANC.

The vacancy comes after the death of the ANC councillor.

According to the IEC, voting stations will be open from 7am to 9pm on the day. SOUTH Africans have exceeded expectations in the infidelity domain with a new infidelity dating website rating South Africa as having the fastest sign-up rate among 23 countries.

By Friday morning, a week after its local launch, 14 000 South Africans were active on the infidelity dating website AshleyMadison.com.

This number represented members who had signed up, created a profile and were active on the site. Of the signed- up members, 48 percent were women and 52 percent men.

There were also a reported casual 10 000 log-ins from Cape Town in one day alone.

“So far so good,” said the site’s founder Noel Biderman who is referred to as “The King of Infidelity”.

Biderman was in South Africa last week accompanied by his Cape Town-born wife Amanda to launch the site.

“It is clear that South Africans have a demonstrable appetite for an infidelity dating website,” he said.