{
  "id": 18290683,
  "title": "South Africa local election turnout tops 2021 level",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/south-africa-local-election-turnout-tops-2021-level",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-05T10:06:54.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/11/05/south-africa-local-election-turnout-tops-2021-level"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Johannesburg - In local government elections serving as a gauge for South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC), more than half of registered voters turned out, the electoral body reported on Thursday. With a quarter of the votes from the Wednesday poll counted, control of major cities remains contested in the vote for 257 councils, seen as a snapshot of the nation's political climate ahead of the 2029 national election. The electoral body's preliminary figures show an estimated turnout of 54.5%, up from 46% in the 2021 local elections marred by the Covid-19 pandemic. Voting was largely peaceful nationwide, although some clashes between rival party supporters were recorded. Early projections indicate the ANC securing about 31.5% of the vote, the Democratic Alliance around 25.5%, and the breakaway MK Party led by former President Jacob Zuma third with roughly 9%. The ANC, which has governed since 1994, has witnessed a decline in its electoral support, failing to cross the 50% threshold in the 2024 general election where it garnered just 40% of the vote. Final results are slated for release on Sunday.",
  "summary": "Voting was largely orderly across the country, although some confrontations between supporters of rival political parties were reported.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "NPR",
        "title": "The South flexes political power in midterms, sets regional influence in 2028 election",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/the-south-flexes-political-power-in-midterms-sets-regional-influence",
        "published": "2026-11-05T10:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "IOL",
        "title": "South Africa’s state-owned enterprises must earn back trust through action",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/south-africas-state-owned-enterprises-must-earn-back-trust-through",
        "published": "2026-11-05T11:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Mail and Guardian",
        "title": "Beyond the ballot box, the people watching over South Africa’s elections",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/beyond-the-ballot-box-the-people-watching-over-south-africas-elections",
        "published": "2026-11-05T12:09:14.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Much-changed Italy give debut to Locatelli against South Africa",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/much-changed-italy-give-debut-to-locatelli-against-south-africa",
        "published": "2026-11-05T12:19:38.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}