ANCYL admits failure to win youth support as ANC reels from election losses

The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) has acknowledged its failure to mobilize young people to vote for the ANC in the 2026 local elections, admitting it must take responsibility for the party's declining support. ANCYL President Collen Malatji stated that the league needed to examine how it addressed issues such as unemployment, crime, and poor service delivery, as well as its influence on the ANC to respond to these concerns.

Malatji revealed that the ANC received 30.76% of the national vote, trailing behind the Democratic Alliance (DA) with 24.64%, MK Party with 9.76%, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) with 6.22%, and ActionSA with 5.67%. The ANC won 53 municipalities outright, compared to the DA's 12, with only 74 of the 213 municipalities having outright majorities.

Malatji blamed the decline on the growing distance between the ANC and communities, poor municipal performance, and representatives' failure to turn the party's manifesto into tangible improvements. He called for organizational renewal and an assessment of members' conduct, emphasizing that communities should have a say in candidate selection and disciplinary action against those who interfered with community-preferred candidates.

Governance expert Dr. Bernard Sebake pointed out that the ANC must confront the political pitfalls planted over the years, and political analyst Solly Rashilo noted that voters, particularly those under 39, were increasingly distrustful and focused on local issues like jobs, water, and service delivery, rather than historical narratives.

Rashilo argued that the ANC's loss of young voters was due to its inability to deliver on promises, not a lack of interest in politics.