Death of the ANC: Party suffers worst municipal result since 1994 as support falls to 30.81 percent

The African National Congress (ANC) has suffered its worst municipal election result since 1994, with support falling to 30.81% nationally. This marks a significant drop of nearly 15 percentage points from the 45.6% it achieved in 2021, and less than half of the 64.9% it received in 2006. The party's top seven senior office-bearers are now reflecting on the outcome and considering their future roles within the party.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is also contemplating his own role in the party. Former minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma urged the ANC to take responsibility for the result and urged the party to work hard to connect with the people's needs and address them. An insider claimed that the current leadership is "the worst that the ANC has had", while a veteran called for an urgent assessment of the party's leadership, blaming arrogance, incompetence, dishonesty, aloofness, and corruption for the party's decline.

The ANC's loss is attributed to several factors, including service delivery failures, corruption, and a growing dissatisfaction among voters who are turning to alternative parties. The party's support has dwindled in every metropolitan area since 2011, with the sharpest decline in eThekwini, where the ANC's share of the vote has plummeted from 61.07% in 2011 to just 16.46% in the most recent election.

The ANC still holds a majority in the City of Cape Town, but traditional leaders' influence on voter behavior is a significant factor in maintaining its rural support.