ANC Faces Major Defeat in South African Local Elections

The African National Congress is facing a bruising defeat in South Africa's local elections, with the historic liberation movement falling below a third of the national vote as over 80 percent of ballots are counted. This fragmented vote continues the decline of the ANC, which has governed nationally since white minority apartheid rule ended in 1994. Persistent issues such as high unemployment, crime, corruption, and poor service delivery have driven voters away from the party. The former liberation movement is projected to lose its position as the largest party in the populous provinces of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, prompting behind-the-scenes coalition negotiations ahead of the final results expected on Sunday.

Nationally, the ANC stands at 31.8 percent of the vote, nearly 14 percentage points lower than its 2021 municipal election performance. Meanwhile, the centre-right Democratic Alliance holds 24.1 percent, and the uMkhonto weSizwe party led by former president Jacob Zuma sits at 9.3 percent. Voter turnout increased during the Wednesday poll, with the election commission estimating that 54.5 percent of registered voters cast ballots, compared to 46 percent five years ago. ## anc south africa

In Johannesburg, citizens have dealt with frequent water and power outages, uncollected rubbish, and neglected infrastructure. The municipality, which has experienced ten changes of mayor over the past decade, acknowledged a massive infrastructure spending backlog. With just over half of the votes counted in the city, the DA leads with 40 percent, followed by the ANC at 17.5 percent, and ActionSA at 15.5 percent. Final results from township strongholds remain pending, though the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research projects the DA will secure 34 percent, the ANC 20 percent, and ActionSA 16.8 percent.

The African National Congress faces a severe decline as local election results show massive losses nationwide.

In KwaZulu-Natal, the newly founded MK party is expected to displace the ANC as the largest political force, combining socially conservative Zulu nationalism with policies aimed at redistributing land and wealth. In eThekwini, covering Durban, the MK holds 41 percent of counted votes, prompting potential coalition talks to prevent the party from taking power. Meanwhile, the DA is projected to retain its majority in Cape Town despite rising housing costs. Citizens vote for both a local councillor and a party under a proportional representation system, and councillors have two weeks following the results to elect mayors and establish municipal governments.

Why it matters

This election outcome marks a profound political shift in South Africa, weakening the dominance of the ANC for the first time since the end of apartheid. The rise of new political factions and the necessity of complex municipal coalitions will reshape local governance and public service delivery in major commercial hubs.