ANC owns up to catastrophic poll results
March and March says the ANC’s poor performance in South Africa’s 2026 local government elections reflects growing frustration over migration, jobs, crime and public services.
The African National Congress (ANC) has admitted to a poor performance in South Africa's 2026 local government elections, attributing it to the party's inability to address voter concerns over migration, job opportunities, crime and public services. According to preliminary results, the ANC's national support has dropped significantly to 30.91%, from 45.59% in the 2021 municipal elections as about 98% of votes have been counted.
This dramatic decline has prompted the ANC to blame President Cyril Ramaphosa for disconnecting from grassroots communities. ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula acknowledged the catastrophic nature of the results and accepted responsibility for the party's failures, poor service delivery, internal divisions, and the disconnect between the party and its representatives.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) dashboard indicated that the ANC has already lost 303 wards nationally, as voters fragmented their support among parties like the Democratic Alliance, MK Party, and ActionSA. ANC spokesperson Sandile Dube claimed that the government ignored grassroots grievances and resorted to the courts to silence them.
Meanwhile, ANC leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma alleged that the ANC's imminent arrest was politically motivated, accusing the government of intimidation and attempts to silence civil society activists ahead of the local government elections.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
