By-elections in Tlokwe will take place on October 23, the North West local government department said on Wednesday.

It said the date was set after the local government MEC consulted with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

“This follows [the] Electoral Court ruling in Bloemfontein which ordered the IEC to request… the member of the executive council to postpone the by-elections in Wards One, Four, 11, 12 and 20 of the municipality,” it said in a statement.

This was after the court heard an application by five independent candidates who were disqualified from taking part in the by-elections by the IEC.

The ANC retained control of two of three wards in the remainder of the by-elections in Tlokwe.

A sixth by-election, in Ward 13, was earlier postponed after an out-of-court settlement.

Fourteen ANC councillors were expelled from the party in July for participating in a motion of no confidence in then Tlokwe mayor Maphetle Maphetle. He was replaced by Democratic Alliance councillor Annette Combrink.

The ANC’s national disciplinary committee subsequently overturned the expulsions.

– Sapa