South Africans Vote in Municipal Elections Amid Declining Support for Governing ANC

Voters across South Africa have cast ballots in local elections covering nearly 300 municipalities, testing the political standing of the ruling African National Congress. The party faces the prospect of historic losses following years of growing public discontent over basic service delivery, municipal corruption, and high unemployment rates.

The election comes after the ruling party lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since 1994 during national elections earlier this year. While the party achieved 70 percent of the national vote at its peak in 2004, its share fell to 40 percent in 2024. President Cyril Ramaphosa rejected predictions of a continued downturn during his final rally, stating that the party's support was increasing ahead of the vote.

Recent polling by research firm Ipsos projected the ruling party's national support to fall to 30 percent, down from 46 percent in the previous municipal elections in 2021. The same survey indicated a rise for the main opposition Democratic Alliance to 25 percent, up from 22 percent. Democratic Alliance federal council chair Helen Zille focused her campaign on urban areas including Johannesburg, promoting her party's track record in managing local administrations.

Municipal management remains severely impaired across much of the country, according to findings from South Africa's Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke. A recent official audit report revealed that only 39 of the country's 257 municipalities received clean audit outcomes for the 2024 to 2025 financial period. None of the three major metropolitan areas in Gauteng province—Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Ekurhuleni—achieved clean financial records, with Johannesburg facing serious fiscal distress and infrastructure breakdown.

Residents in major urban townships such as Alexandra and Soweto reported widespread disruptions to water and electricity supplies alongside uncollected waste. Turnout among the country's 29 million registered voters, particularly younger demographics, has shown a downward trend in recent cycles. Analysts such as Dr Levy Ndou noted that voter frustration stems in part from limited candidate visibility and poor responsiveness from local councillors.

In the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal, the uMkhonto weSizwe party led by former President Jacob Zuma is expected to compete for control of the eThekwini metro, which includes Durban. Zuma declared to supporters that his party intended to take leadership of multiple municipalities. However, analysts pointed out that the party's refusal to align with either major party could complicate the formation of stable municipal administrations.

Political analysts suggest that coalition governments will likely be required across most major metropolitan areas, replicating current arrangements in Gauteng. Political analyst Melanie Verwoerd indicated that municipal coalitions mirroring the national power-sharing agreement between the governing party and the Democratic Alliance may offer the most stable outcome. The Independent Electoral Commission has seven days to publish final election results, after which political parties will have 14 days to assemble municipal councils.

Written by Freya Stensrud freya.stensrud@alpineweekly.com