The African National Congress secured roughly 32 percent of the vote with over 60 percent of ballots counted, marking a sharp decline from its 46 percent showing in 2021. The opposition Democratic Alliance held second place with 25 percent and leads the count in Johannesburg, while Jacob Zuma's MK party claimed third place nationally. Voter turnout rose to about 54.5 percent, with 15.9 million of the country's 29.2 million registered citizens casting ballots. These fractured tallies will force rival organizations into contentious negotiations to form local governments before official results finalize on Sunday.
Key points
The governing party's multi-year electoral decline continues to weaken its control over m…: The governing party's multi-year electoral decline continues to weaken its control over major metropolitan councils ahead of the 2029 general election.
Widespread voter dissatisfaction over public corruption, rolling blackouts, and collapsin…: Widespread voter dissatisfaction over public corruption, rolling blackouts, and collapsing municipal infrastructure drove support to alternative opposition parties.
The absence of clear single-party majorities in major cities will trigger an intricate ro…: The absence of clear single-party majorities in major cities will trigger an intricate round of coalition negotiations across local governments.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
The ANC was on about 32 percent of the vote after almost half of the votes were counted in municipal elections.
South Africa’s early municipal election results have shown the African National Congress (ANC) with a sharply reduced vote share, weakening the long-dominant party’s control of key cities such as Johannesburg.
The ANC was on about 32 percent of the vote, with the Democratic Alliance (DA) in second place at 25 percent, after more than 60 percent of the votes had been counted in this week’s municipal elections, data from the election commission showed late on Thursday.
Recommended Stories
list of 3 items- list 1 of 3South African rugby player Hyron Andrews remembered in emotional tribute
- list 2 of 3From Morocco to South Africa, Israel election watched closely across Africa
- list 3 of 3Foreign national beaten to death by a mob in South Africa
Meanwhile, former President Jacob Zuma’s breakaway opposition uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party was in third place with 8.5 percent, below levels suggested by opinion polls.
About 15.9 million of 29.2 million registered voters cast ballots,…
Coordinated security hoaxes have triggered military scrambles and office evacuations across the continent, forcing emergency services to divert multiple passenger planes and inspect major newsrooms. Investigators are probing whether the disruptive warnings constitute psychological warfare or state-linked hybrid aggression intended to sow panic. While all subsequent searches yielded no actual explosives, the widespread operations reflect heightened anxiety among European intelligence agencies.
Emboldened by recent midterm election victories, congressional Democrats are mobilizing investigative committees to probe deep ties between the administration and prominent corporate allies. Inquiries will concentrate on whether top donors and tech leaders leveraged political influence to secure federal contracts, regulatory favors, or access to sensitive government data. This aggressive oversight campaign threatens to disrupt the operations of major technology firms and complicate Donald Trump's business networks.
International investigators have traced foreign combatants directly into Sudan's civil war through an intricate logistics pipeline spanning multiple African nations. These specialized fighters contributed critical technical support that allowed paramilitary forces to seize strategic territory amid severe civilian atrocities. The disclosures threaten to ignite diplomatic backlash against Abu Dhabi just as one of its top officials seeks the world body's highest leadership post.