{
  "id": 17745735,
  "title": "On the road to nowhere",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/on-the-road-to-nowhere",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-02T04:40:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/news/opinion/on-the-road-to-nowhere/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "As the local government elections approach, the African National Congress (ANC) faces a series of disheartening poll results. South Africa's ruling party, under President Cyril Ramaphosa, has experienced a steady decline in electoral success. When Ramaphosa took over from Jacob Zuma in 2018, the ANC held a parliamentary majority of 62%. However, this dwindled to 58% in the 2019 general election and dropped to 46% in 2021. The most recent poll places the ANC's support at just 32%, compared to the Democratic Alliance (DA)'s 26%. This shift has narrowed the 18 percentage-point lead the ANC held over the DA in 2024 to just six points. The DA claims a narrower gap, with internal polling placing it at 28.4%, just 1.2 percentage points behind the ANC's 29.6%. The decline in the ANC's urban dominance is notable, as it failed to secure an outright majority in any of the six largest metros in the 2024 poll. Coalition dynamics have shifted, with the ANC and DA's combined support exceeding 50% in four of the five metro areas outside Cape Town. This partnership could provide a more straightforward path to governance than complex alliances with smaller parties. Public opinion supports this alliance, with 68% of voters favoring ANC-DA coalitions in municipalities where neither party holds a majority but together can form one. However, the ANC's weakened position could bolster the bargaining power of the DA, the MK party, and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) if the ANC chooses to govern without the DA's support. The situation is further complicated in KwaZulu-Natal, where tensions and personal animosities among the political players complicate the formation of a stable coalition. In eThekwini, the ANC's support is minimal at 13%-15%, falling far short of a majority when combined with the DA, which holds 25%-28% support. Therefore, the coalition arithmetic points towards an ANC-DA tie-up, but every remaining option carries significant risks, potentially accelerating the party's decline.",
  "summary": "Although only some of the ANC's lost support appears to have gone to the DA, the shift has nevertheless changed the arithmetic of coalition.",
  "key_points": [
    "ANC's support drops to 32% in latest poll.",
    "ANC fails to secure majority in any of 6 largest metros in 2024.",
    "ANC-DA coalition favored by 68% of voters in non-majority areas."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}