S’Africa’s ANC records worst-ever election result

The African National Congress (ANC) has recorded its worst-ever electoral performance in South Africa's municipal elections. According to the electoral commission, the party secured between 30.76 per cent and 30.81 per cent of the vote. IOL reports that this is a significant decline from the 45.6 per cent the party won in the 2021 municipal elections and the 64.9 per cent it captured in 2006.

The party has lost its outright majority in six of the eight metropolitan regions, and according to IOL, it holds no outright majority in any single metro. DW News reports that the Democratic Alliance received just under 25 per cent of the vote. Because no outright winner was declared in several major cities, politicians are expected to engage in coalition talks to form municipal governments.

DW News notes that the ANC is facing backlash from voters regarding crime, high unemployment, water and electricity shortages, and corruption. ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula stated that the party must work to win back public confidence, noting that voters should not be asked to trust the party based solely on its history. IOL reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa is considering his future within the party, while former minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said the leadership must take responsibility and address the people's needs.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch, Punch Nigeria, DW News, IOL — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.