ANC dealt knockout blow in MP after losing several councils
One hundred percent of the votes have been captured in Mpumalanga
In Mpumalanga, the ANC has faced significant setbacks in municipal elections, losing ground in several councils. In the mining town of eMalahleni, the party's support plummeted by 20 percentage points, from 51% in 2021 to 31% this week. This decline is partly attributed to job losses resulting from the transition to a greener economy.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) made strides, increasing its vote share from 18% in 2021 to 23% and even surpassing the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) to secure the second position in the council, while the Inkatha Freedom Party (MK) claimed the third spot with 14%. In the City of Mbombela, the ANC's dominance has waned; it once commanded 65% of the vote five years ago but now holds just 48%.
The DA garnered 15% of the votes, marking a notable shift in power dynamics. The Nkomazi municipality has endured service delivery challenges and threats against councillors, including the fatal attack on ANC councillor Thabo Ngwenya in April 2024. Despite winning an outright majority with 54% of the votes in Nkomazi, the ANC's backing fell by 19 percentage points from 73% in 2021.
Written by urgent.news from SABC News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
