ANC vote share plummets to 31% in worst local election result in party history
Voters punished the ruling party for service failures and corruption, while the Democratic Alliance closed the gap to within six points.
By Marco Ortega ·
The African National Congress recorded its lowest vote share in local elections since 1994, dropping to 31 percent in results released Sunday for last week’s municipal polls. The party lost 15 percentage points from its previous tally, marking a historic decline in support for the group that governed South Africa after the end of apartheid.
The ANC’s secretary-general described the outcome as catastrophic for the party. He stated that the organization would enter a period of soul-searching to determine how to regain the trust of the South African public. This defeat follows a 2024 national election where the ANC lost its parliamentary majority with 40 percent of the vote.
Critics attribute the loss to a failure to provide basic services. Communities across the country report frequent power outages, broken water and sewage systems, and accumulating garbage on streets. A shortage of housing leaves millions living in shacks. These issues are central to the dissatisfaction among voters who feel the party has not delivered on its promises of equality and a better life.
South Africa faces one of the highest unemployment rates in the world and remains one of the most unequal nations. Approximately 40 percent of the country’s 62 million people live below the poverty line, according to the World Bank. Poverty disproportionately affects Black South Africans, a demographic that formed the core of the ANC’s support base during the liberation struggle.
Corruption scandals continue to erode the party’s reputation. A judicial commission investigating the Zuma era exposed extensive graft. A new commission is currently examining allegations that senior police officers, political officials, and businessmen colluded to misappropriate more than $120 million. The money was intended for a hospital serving a poor community.
Current President Cyril Ramaphosa, who took office after Jacob Zuma stepped down in 2018, has faced his own scrutiny. Investigators looked into the source of more than half a million dollars in cash found hidden in a couch at his ranch. The cash was later stolen. Ramaphosa had promised to clean up the ANC upon succeeding Zuma, who is accused of allowing rampant graft to persist for a decade.
Internal division has weakened the ANC since Nelson Mandela left office in 1999. Thabo Mbeki was forced out as party leader after Jacob Zuma undermined his position. Zuma later split from the ANC in a feud with Ramaphosa to form the MK Party. This new faction has further reduced the vote share available to the ANC.
The political landscape is shifting as South African politics becomes more fragmented. The white-led Democratic Alliance won 25 percent of the votes in the recent municipal elections. This result places the opposition party closer than ever to overtaking the ANC as the largest political force in the country. Party leaders said this performance demonstrates their potential to become the biggest party in South Africa.
Young urban voters, who do not remember apartheid, have increasingly deserted the ANC. The party has maintained its status as the largest national and local party, but its dominance has eroded. Zuma once claimed the ANC would govern until Jesus came back, a statement that contrasts sharply with the party’s current position in a fragmented political market.
