South Africa’s ANC Faces Record Low with Third of Vote

South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) faced its worst-ever electoral defeat on Friday, as near-final results showed the party securing only about 31 per cent of the vote in local government elections.

With 90 per cent of the votes declared, the ANC’s support plummeted well below its previous low of 40 per cent in the 2024 national elections and 46 per cent in the 2021 municipal polls.

Voters expressed deep disillusionment over failing power and water infrastructure, systemic corruption, and high unemployment, while political analysts noted that the sharp drop undermines the party’s governing authority nationwide ahead of the 2029 general election.

The pro-business Democratic Alliance (DA) captured second place with over 24 per cent of the vote, expanding its support from 2021 and maintaining its hold on Cape Town while leading the race in Johannesburg.

Meanwhile, former president Jacob Zuma’s breakaway uMkhonto weSizwe party (MKP) placed third with over nine per cent in its municipal debut, taking the lead in the eThekwini metropolitan area.

ANC representative Nomvula Mokonyane framed the historic loss as an opportunity to renew the party, but political experts attributed the decline directly to the rise of splinter groups like the MKP eating away at the ANC’s traditional voter base.

With no single party securing an outright majority in several major metro areas, the results have sparked intense coalition bargaining across South Africa’s increasingly fragmented political landscape.

DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis confirmed that his party has already reached out to potential partners to assemble governing alliances capable of stabilising local municipalities.

However, political analysts warned that expanding multi-party coalitions have historically proven unstable, raising concerns about their ability to deliver essential municipal services.