South Africa's ruling ANC faces huge decline in voter support, early election results show

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa's long-dominant African National Congress party was set to lose significant voter support and control of some major cities in local government elections held this week, interim results across the country showed on Friday.

South Africans voted this week in local polls that determine which parties get to control major cities and local municipal districts that are responsible for the delivery of basic services like water, road maintenance and rubbish removal.

With 76% of votes counted nationally, the ANC had garnered nearly 31% and was lagging behind rival parties in key cities like Johannesburg, Tshwane and eThekwini.

During the last local government elections in 2021, the ANC received just over 45% of votes nationally. Its worst electoral performance was in 2024 national elections , when it lost its parliamentary majority for the first time.

ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu on Friday acknowledged the latest results show the party was losing significant voter support.

“We are conscious of the message that our voters, especially our historical voters, are conveying to us. And we are going to have a serious, honest and deep reflection about how to rebuild the confidence between ourselves and the people of South Africa,” Bhengu said.

The ANC has dominated electoral support in South Africa since the country's first democratic elections in 1994 but has experienced a steady decline.

It formed a unity government with the rival Democratic Alliance and smaller political parties, while at the local level it governs some cities through coalition governments.

In the hotly-contested city of Johannesburg, the DA was leading the ANC though early results showed that none of the political parties would win with outright majorities and would have to form coalitions to govern.

DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis said on Friday that the party would consider potential coalition governments with other parties on a case-by-case basis.

“It is premature for me to commit to any one of the parties for coalitions but they are very seriously under discussion and consideration,” said Hill-Lewis.

The MK Party, formed by former ANC leader Jacob Zuma and contesting in its first-ever local government elections, was leading with votes in the eThekwini municipality which includes the city of Durban.

Political analyst Sandile Mnguni said Friday that the results showed that voters “are no longer voting out of loyalty.”

“They are watching what their elected leaders are doing when in office,” Mnguni said. The parties ”must learn from what is happening to the ANC. If they don’t perform, they will suffer the same fate," he added.