South Africa's ANC battered by local election losses ahead of coalition talks
The result leaves the ANC short of majorities in major metros and sets up 14 days of coalition bargaining, officials said.
- With 99% of votes counted on Sunday, South Africa's African National Congress secured 31% nationally against 25% for the Democratic Alliance , representing a drop of roughly 14 percentage points from its 2021 local elections performance.
- The ANC's support has steadily eroded over the past 15 years due to failures in basic services like water and electricity. Voters grew increasingly frustrated with persistent corruption and the party's failure to tackle unemployment.
- In Johannesburg, the Democratic Alliance led with about 35% of votes compared to 20% for the ANC, positioning mayoral candidate Helen Zille to potentially lead South Africa's commercial hub depending on coalition agreements.
- Parties have 14 days to negotiate coalition agreements before city councils are formed. ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula called the result "catastrophic," stating the party must "put our house in order" rather than beg for positions.
- Because no party won more than 50% of votes in major cities, forming majority municipal governments requires teaming up with smaller parties. Former President Jacob Zuma's party holds about 10% of the vote, fragmenting opposition support.
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52 Articles
The African National Congress (CNA) of South Africa, in the government since the end of apartheid, suffered a severe blow in the municipal elections, according to the results released on Sunday, November 8. Although the CNA won the local elections last Wednesday, with 30.76 of the votes, I report the worst result of its history. President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that "the people have spoken and their verdict must be respected".
ANC Suffers Historic Result
South African voters have handled the African National Congress itsweakest local election result since the end of apartheid. The ruling party took 30.7% of the vote, down sharply from 46% in 2021 and less than half its early-2000s peak, the BBC reports. It secured a majority in only...
The African National Congress (ANC) secured 30.76 percent of the vote in Wednesday's South African municipal elections, the worst election result in its history. This is evident from the final results announced today by the electoral commission.
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