Historic Municipal Collapse for South Africa’s Ruling ANC

South Africa’s governing African National Congress has slumped to an unprecedented nadir in local municipal polls, securing under 31 percent of the ballots. Secretary-general Fikile Mbalula described the outcome as “catastrophic”.

The defeat marks a sharp retreat from the party’s historic post-apartheid dominance, having previously dropped below half the national vote during the 2021 municipal round and subsequently forfeiting its parliamentary majority in 2024.

Widespread voter disillusionment over crumbling infrastructure, power cuts, water shortages, high living costs, and persistent corruption scandals contributed heavily to the setback.

The opposition Democratic Alliance claimed second place with nearly a quarter of the ballots, retaining Cape Town, Western Cape, whilst overtaking the former liberation movement in major economic hubs like Johannesburg and Pretoria in Gauteng. Jacob Zuma’s MK party took third, securing Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, while the Economic Freedom Fighters placed fourth.

With no faction achieving outright control across numerous councils, a fortnight of coalition negotiations begins. Commenting on the shifting political reality towards collaborative governance, political analyst William Gumede remarked: “We are now in a coalition country.”

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