ANC loses further ground in South African local elections
Preliminary results point to lost majorities and more coalition negotiations.
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The African National Congress is losing control of several municipalities in South Africa’s local elections. Results are not yet final everywhere, but point to a further weakening of the party that has dominated South Africa since the end of apartheid.
Preliminary results show that the ANC no longer has a majority in several municipalities. In Mpumalanga, the party appears to be losing majorities in several councils, according to local election reporting. Coalitions may also be needed to form administrations in other areas.
The elections covered municipalities and districts, including major urban areas. According to AP, the Democratic Alliance was ahead of the ANC in Johannesburg, while no party appeared to have a majority there. In eThekwini, the municipality around Durban, the party of former ANC leader Jacob Zuma was ahead.
The result fits a broader development. In 2024, the ANC already lost its parliamentary majority and subsequently had to enter a national coalition with, among others, the Democratic Alliance. The preliminary local election results likewise point to lost majorities.
Local elections in South Africa often focus on practical issues such as water, electricity, refuse collection and roads. Parties challenging the ANC campaign on criticism of service delivery, unemployment and corruption. The ANC says it must analyse the results and regain voters’ trust.
The final distribution of seats and the coalitions are not yet known. The South African Electoral Commission expects the official completion of the results after the weekend. For the Netherlands and Europe, the development is particularly relevant because South Africa is an important economic and diplomatic partner in Africa.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The ANC is losing majorities in several municipalities.
- Coalitions are needed in several councils.
- The final result has not yet been established everywhere.
Left
Arguments The result shows that voters have had enough of poor public services and that local power must increasingly be shared.
Values Social equality, public services and democratic accountability.
Consequences Coalitions may improve service delivery if parties work together, but may also become deadlocked if cuts and inequality persist.
Centre
Arguments The central task is administrative stability: municipalities must approve budgets and provide basic services, regardless of which parties work together.
Values Continuity, feasibility and institutional reliability.
Consequences Broad coalitions can provide stability, but complicated majorities make decision-making vulnerable.
Right
Arguments The ANC’s loss is seen as a reckoning with poor governance, inefficiency and insufficient responsibility for local problems.
Values Responsibility, order and government efficiency.
Consequences More competition may improve governance, but fragmentation may instead lead to unstable coalitions.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The described shift in power and preliminary results have been confirmed by AP and SABC. The article makes clear which results are still preliminary.
Editor's note
The results are preliminary. The precise coalitions and final distribution of seats may still change.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- AD — „zuid-afrika anc”
- de Volkskrant — „zuid-afrika anc”
- RTL Nieuws — „zuid-afrika anc”