South Africa’s African National Congress won 30.76% of the vote in municipal elections, its weakest local-election result since the end of apartheid, according to final figures announced by the Electoral Commission on Sunday, November 8. The Democratic Alliance took 24.64%, leaving the ANC the largest party nationally but facing negotiations to govern many councils.
Voters chose local representatives on Wednesday, November 4, after years of complaints about water and electricity interruptions, damaged roads and uncollected rubbish. The ANC, which led the transition to democracy in 1994, had won 45.59% in the 2021 municipal vote. It also lost its parliamentary majority in the 2024 national election and now governs nationally in a coalition.
The commission said the ANC secured 3,246 council seats and the DA 1,695. Former president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe party placed third with 9.76% of the vote. Turnout reached 52%, up from 45.9% in 2021, with about 14.9 million people voting out of 29.2 million registered, according to the commission.
Of 213 municipalities, the commission said 72 produced an outright majority for one party and 127 had no party holding more than half the seats. Reuters reported that parties have 14 days to negotiate before councils are formed. In Johannesburg and other large cities, the absence of a majority means alliances will determine who controls local services and budgets.
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula described the result as catastrophic for the party and said it needed to rebuild public trust through service, Reuters and AP reported. President Cyril Ramaphosa urged parties to put residents’ interests ahead of political disputes during coalition talks. The commission declared the elections free and fair and said it would review concerns raised about the process.
The result deepens a long decline in ANC support while showing that opposition votes remain divided among several parties. Negotiations over municipal coalitions are now the immediate political test. Their outcome will decide which parties run councils responsible for the everyday services that featured prominently in the campaign.
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