ANC under pressure to reverse South Africa decline

South Africans are set to cast their votes in a pivotal local election, potentially resulting in a significant loss of support for the African National Congress (ANC), the nation's former ruling party. The electoral season has been characterized by fervent campaigning, featuring politicians engaging in humorous antics, interacting with elderly citizens, and tackling oversized potholes.

Candidates are vying for positions in South Africa's nearly 300 municipalities, which are tasked with delivering essential services such as water, electricity, and waste management. For the ANC, this election presents an opportunity to demonstrate its continued capability to govern.

The party suffered a significant setback in the most recent national election, losing its parliamentary majority for the first time since 1994, when the apartheid regime ended. Support for the ANC has been dwindling due to widespread dissatisfaction with high levels of corruption, unemployment, and crime. Historical data shows that at its peak in 2004, the ANC secured 70% of the vote in the general election, whereas this year, polls and analysts predict a further decline.

However, President Cyril Ramaphosa remains confident that the party is on an upward trajectory and vowed to demonstrate this at the polls on November 4th.

Alexandra, a sprawling township located northeast of Johannesburg, has long been a bastion of ANC support. However, the party's performance in recent years has been marred by poor governance and voter apathy. A recent visit to the area by the BBC revealed that residents expressed frustration with the ANC's inability to address their basic needs.

Sanele Ntombela, an 18-year-old first-time voter, expressed his enthusiasm to vote, citing the dire state of services in the area. He highlighted the overwhelming presence of rubbish, the lack of electricity and water, and the numerous potholes on the roads. Despite his excitement, Ntombela is not alone in his sentiments, as many of his friends have decided against voting, citing a perceived lack of improvement in services and local leadership.

Another resident, Zandile Mncube, expressed her intention not to vote, blaming the party for the worsening conditions. Mncube stated that her disillusionment with the ANC stems from years of poor service delivery and the performance of local leaders. The stark contrast between the affluent Sandton, Johannesburg's richest square mile, and the impoverished Alexandra is a stark reminder of the deep-rooted disparities faced by South Africa.

In Alexandra, the living conditions are far removed from the well-maintained roads, designer shops, and skyscrapers of Sandton. The area is characterized by overcrowded housing, overflowing rubbish, and the pervasive odor of raw sewage.

These issues are not unique to Alexandra. A tour of Gauteng province reveals similar patterns of neglect and disrepair, particularly in townships across the province. South of Johannesburg, the township of Soweto, while appearing cleaner than Alexandra, also suffers from service delivery problems. Mduduzi Makhubo, a long-time resident of Soweto, shared the community's daily struggles with accessing water and electricity.

He informed the BBC that his household's water supply typically runs out by 2 pm on Mondays, leaving them without access to this essential resource.

These challenges in South Africa's local governance are underscored by the dismal performance of the country's 257 municipalities. Auditor-general reports have consistently highlighted the dire state of these entities, with only 39 clean audits awarded between 2024 and 2025. Notably, none of Gauteng's three metropolitan cities—Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Ekurhuleni—received a clean audit.

Auditor-general Tsakani Maluleke recently criticized Johannesburg, stating that the city requires ongoing attention to address financial instability and compromised service delivery.

The upcoming local elections in South Africa are a critical moment for the ANC to prove its relevance and ability to govern effectively. With voter dissatisfaction on the rise and mounting pressure to reverse years of decline, the outcome of these elections will be closely watched by both the international community and South Africans themselves.

The ANC's ability to win support in areas like Alexandra, where the gap between the haves and have-nots is starkly evident, will be a telling indicator of the party's future in South African politics.