ANC record low in South Africa local vote as talks begin
The ANC remains South Africa's largest party but fell to about 30.8% in local elections, forcing coalition talks in around 120 hung municipal councils.
South Africa has entered coalition season. After local government elections on November 4 delivered the African National Congress its worst result since the end of apartheid, parties have begun negotiations to form administrations in around 120 hung municipal councils where no one won an outright majority, Africanews reported.
According to results published by the Independent Electoral Commission, the ANC took approximately 30.8% of the vote, remaining the country's largest party but recording an all-time low. The Democratic Alliance finished second with close to 24.6%, while the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party emerged as a significant force on approximately 9.8%. The New York Times said the defeat had turned the movement credited with overturning apartheid into "any other political party."
The talks carry a hard deadline. Parties have a legally prescribed 14-day period to establish functioning local administrations, with mayoral offices, council leadership posts and municipal portfolios all on the table. In many councils, smaller parties such as the Economic Freedom Fighters and ActionSA could hold the balance of power.
The result extends a decline that became unmistakable in the 2024 national elections, when the ANC lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since 1994. Years of corruption scandals, unemployment and failing services have eroded the loyalty once secured by its liberation history and the leadership of Nelson Mandela. Residents in many communities cite water shortages, electricity disruptions and deteriorating infrastructure.
Analyst Xolelwa Kashe-Katiya has warned that rushing complex negotiations could leave municipalities governed by inherently fragile coalitions. South Africa has seen such arrangements collapse before, with consequences that include delayed budgets, stalled infrastructure projects and repeated leadership changes — all borne by communities that depend on councils for basic services.
What voters are waiting for now is simpler than the arithmetic: working taps, reliable power and councils that function. Whether the patchwork of deals struck over the coming fortnight can deliver that will decide if this election marks a genuine turning point — or merely a more crowded route to the same frustrations.
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