As South Africa's municipal ballots approach completion, the African National Congress, the party that has long stood at the center of the nation's public life, finds itself at roughly 32 percent against the Democratic Alliance's 24 percent. Such a figure, still provisional, reads as a turning point in a story that began with the liberation struggle and has slowly given way to a more contested politics. The count is not yet final, and the true measure of this moment will be written less in the tallies than in the coalitions that councils must now forge.
ANC Faces Worst-Ever Local Election Result as Early Counts Show Sharp Drop in Support
A once-dominant party, now at about 32 percent with the count nearly done
As South Africa's municipal ballots approach completion, the African National Congress, the party that has long stood at the center of the nation's public life, finds itself at roughly 32 percent against the Democratic Alliance's 24 percent. Such a figure, still provisional, reads as a turning point in a story that began with the liberation struggle and has slowly given way to a more contested politics. The count is not yet final, and the true measure of this moment will be written less in the tallies than in the coalitions that councils must now forge.
With roughly 80 percent of ballots counted in South Africa's municipal elections, the African National Congress stands at about 32 percent, while the Democratic Alliance trails at about 24 percent. These early figures point toward the weakest local election result in the ANC's history, a sharp fall for a party that has long been the central force in the country's politics.
International outlets have framed the moment in strong terms. DW described a worst-ever performance, Reuters reported the same headline numbers as the count entered its final stretch, and the Guardian called it a bruising defeat. The Financial Times's phrase, 'South Africa's incredible shrinking ANC,' captures the mood of a once-dominant party now far below its former standing.
The figures are still a snapshot. The eight-point gap between the two leading parties is the clearest measure so far, but the coverage does not yet break results down by municipality, turnout, or the performance of smaller parties. Those details will arrive as the count finishes.
What comes next matters as much as the tally. Where no party holds a majority, coalition agreements will decide who actually governs, and those negotiations have not yet been reported. The final results and those arrangements in the major municipalities will show how far ANC support has truly fallen.
With roughly 80 percent of ballots counted in South Africa's municipal elections, the African National Congress was running at about 32 percent of the vote. The Democratic Alliance, its main rival, stood at about 24 percent. Those were the figures circulating in early counts, and they pointed toward the weakest local election showing in the ANC's history.
The headlines from several outlets framed it the same way. DW described the party as facing its worst-ever performance in local elections. Reuters put the numbers at 32 percent for the ANC and 24 percent for the DA as the count entered its final stretch. The Guardian called it a bruising defeat, citing the 80 percent mark. ABC News wrote of a huge decline in voter support for a once-dominant party, and the Financial Times titled its piece on the result "South Africa's incredible shrinking ANC."
The word "once-dominant" carries the weight here. The ANC has been the central force in South African politics, and these results show it far below the kind of standing it long held. The count is early and incomplete, so the 32 percent figure is a snapshot, not a final tally.
The gap between the two leading parties is eight percentage points, based on the figures reported. That is the clearest concrete measure available from the coverage. The material gathered here does not break the results down by municipality, give turnout, or say how smaller parties performed, so those pieces remain to be filled in as the count finishes.
What the numbers will mean in practice depends on the next stage. Local councils with no outright majority typically require agreements between parties, and the shape of coalition arrangements in key municipalities will determine who actually governs. Those negotiations have not been described in the reporting so far.
For now the picture is of a count nearing completion and a ruling party with a sharply reduced share of the vote. The final results, and the coalition arrangements that follow in the major municipalities, will show how far ANC support has actually fallen.
Notable Quotes
The ANC is facing its worst-ever performance in local elections.— DW.com headline
South Africa's incredible shrinking ANC.— Financial Times headline
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