ANC Slumps to Record Low 30.9 Percent in South Africa Local Vote
(MENAFN) South Africa’s governing African National Congress (ANC), the movement of the country’s first Black president, Nelson Mandela, and the party in power since 1994, suffered a historic setback in Wednesday’s local elections.
With counting finished in 99% of electoral districts, preliminary figures from the country’s electoral authority put the ANC first nationally, but on just 30.9% of the vote. That is a drop of nearly 15 percentage points from the 45.6% it won in the 2021 local elections, and its weakest local showing since the end of apartheid-era rule and the transition to democracy.
The main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) held second place and improved its share to 24.6%, up from 21.7% in 2021.
The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, led by former President Jacob Zuma, took third with 9.6% in its first local election campaign. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) won 6.3%, ahead of ActionSA at 5.7% and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) at 4.7%.
Opposition Takes Ground in Major Cities
The ANC trailed its rivals in most of the country’s big metropolitan areas.
The DA, which draws strong backing from white voters, won 56.4% in Cape Town, the legislative capital, and kept its majority on the city council. It also finished first in Johannesburg, the largest city, with 35%, and in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, which includes executive capital Pretoria, with 34.3%.
In the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, home to Durban, the country’s third-largest city, Zuma’s MK Party led with 39.7%.
The DA also came out on top in Nelson Mandela Bay, while the ANC won the most votes in Buffalo City and Mangaung.
Coalition Bargaining Looms
No party won an outright majority in 128 of the 200 municipal councils where counting had been completed, the results showed. That sets up coalition negotiations to form local governments in numerous cities, among them Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban.
South African voters do not choose mayors directly. Municipal councils elect them after the local elections.
With counting finished in 99% of electoral districts, preliminary figures from the country’s electoral authority put the ANC first nationally, but on just 30.9% of the vote. That is a drop of nearly 15 percentage points from the 45.6% it won in the 2021 local elections, and its weakest local showing since the end of apartheid-era rule and the transition to democracy.
The main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) held second place and improved its share to 24.6%, up from 21.7% in 2021.
The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, led by former President Jacob Zuma, took third with 9.6% in its first local election campaign. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) won 6.3%, ahead of ActionSA at 5.7% and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) at 4.7%.
Opposition Takes Ground in Major Cities
The ANC trailed its rivals in most of the country’s big metropolitan areas.
The DA, which draws strong backing from white voters, won 56.4% in Cape Town, the legislative capital, and kept its majority on the city council. It also finished first in Johannesburg, the largest city, with 35%, and in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, which includes executive capital Pretoria, with 34.3%.
In the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, home to Durban, the country’s third-largest city, Zuma’s MK Party led with 39.7%.
The DA also came out on top in Nelson Mandela Bay, while the ANC won the most votes in Buffalo City and Mangaung.
Coalition Bargaining Looms
No party won an outright majority in 128 of the 200 municipal councils where counting had been completed, the results showed. That sets up coalition negotiations to form local governments in numerous cities, among them Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban.
South African voters do not choose mayors directly. Municipal councils elect them after the local elections.
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