South Africans vote in local elections seen as test for embattled ANC
Also reported by ABC News, Guardian World
Summary
South Africans are voting in local elections that could further weaken the African National Congress (ANC), which lost its parliamentary majority in 2024. Voters are choosing councils across the country, and the results are expected on Sunday; the contest could also influence the race to succeed Cyril Ramaphosa as ANC leader in 2027.Key Facts
- A record 29.2 million people are registered to vote at 23,696 polling stations, according to the Electoral Commission of South Africa.
- More than 1.4 million special votes were cast on Monday and Tuesday.
- Voters are electing councils in eight metropolitan municipalities, 44 district councils and 205 local councils; the councils choose mayors.
- The ANC won less than 50 percent of the vote in municipal elections for the first time in 2021 and lost its parliamentary majority in the 2024 national election.
- Opinion polls suggest the ANC could receive less than 40 percent of the vote in the current election.
- Johannesburg is a major focus of the election; the city has had five mayors in four years, and the Democratic Alliance has nominated former leader Helen Zille for mayor.
- Former President Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe party is contesting local elections for the first time and is challenging for support in Durban.
- Police have recorded 21 election-related cases since Sunday, and 165 polling stations in KwaZulu-Natal have been classified as high risk.
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