South Africa local election turnout tops 2021 level
Voting was largely orderly across the country, although some confrontations between supporters of rival political parties were reported.
Johannesburg - In local government elections serving as a gauge for South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC), more than half of registered voters turned out, the electoral body reported on Thursday. With a quarter of the votes from the Wednesday poll counted, control of major cities remains contested in the vote for 257 councils, seen as a snapshot of the nation's political climate ahead of the 2029 national election.
The electoral body's preliminary figures show an estimated turnout of 54.5%, up from 46% in the 2021 local elections marred by the Covid-19 pandemic. Voting was largely peaceful nationwide, although some clashes between rival party supporters were recorded. Early projections indicate the ANC securing about 31.5% of the vote, the Democratic Alliance around 25.5%, and the breakaway MK Party led by former President Jacob Zuma third with roughly 9%.
The ANC, which has governed since 1994, has witnessed a decline in its electoral support, failing to cross the 50% threshold in the 2024 general election where it garnered just 40% of the vote. Final results are slated for release on Sunday.
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