Declining support for the African National Congress marks a steady drop from the 45.6 percent it earned in 2021 down to projected historic lows. The centre-right Democratic Alliance holds leads below 40 percent in key Gauteng metros, while Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto we Sizwe party surged past 40 percent in eThekwini. Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance faces waning support in Cape Town over housing costs despite being favored to retain its majority. South Africa's electoral commission has one week to declare final results before parties begin a two-week mayoral negotiation period.
Key points
Growing voter disillusionment over basic utility failures continues to rapidly erode the…: Growing voter disillusionment over basic utility failures continues to rapidly erode the ruling party's long-standing electoral dominance.
Widespread vote fragmentation will force unstable coalition arrangements that have histor…: Widespread vote fragmentation will force unstable coalition arrangements that have historically disrupted municipal service delivery.
Rising regional competitors are successfully fracturing control across key economic hubs…: Rising regional competitors are successfully fracturing control across key economic hubs including Gauteng, eThekwini, and Cape Town.
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The African National Congress is on course for a bruising result in South Africa’s local elections on Wednesday as voters go to the polls amid deep discontent over water outages, power cuts and crumbling infrastructure.
The former liberation movement, which Nelson Mandela led to power in 1994 at the end of apartheid as South Africa’s first black president, is still likely to be the largest party. However, polls show it getting less than a third of the vote, down from 45.6% at the last municipal elections in 2021 and 40.2% in 2024’s national elections.
Vote fragmentation means the ANC could still end up leading many city coalition governments while losing control of others.
Unstable coalitions are already a feature of many of South Africa’s 257 municipalities, and analysts point to their high turnover as a major reason for poor service delivery.
Johannesburg, a city of 4.8 million people that has faced water shortages for more than a week, has had 10 mayors in as many years. The neighbouring municipality of Ekurhuleni has had three mayors since 2021. To the north,…
Democrats secured control of the Senate on Tuesday night, breaking the Republican trifecta of power in Washington. The party won at least 51 seats according to the Associated Press as of 11:36 p.m. Vote counting remains ongoing, and the final totals could still change.
The victory ends more than a decade of unified Republican control over both of Iowa's U.S. Senate seats and flips the position vacated by retiring Senator Joni Ernst. The race shifted in favor of the Democrats as rural voters faced agricultural headwinds from tariffs and rising fuel expenses tied to the war in Iran. This outcome delivers a major legislative upset fueled by intense debates over federal healthcare and Medicaid cuts.
Recent election results marked a significant milestone for democratic socialists seeking broader political representation across the country. Addressing these developments, Mamdani emphasized that the outcome fundamentally reflects the mobilization and influence of everyday laborers. This shift suggests that grassroots labor movements can effectively drive electoral outcomes during competitive campaign cycles.