South African voters punish ANC with worst-ever result
The party that led the struggle against apartheid is no longer the force it was more than three decades ago. The African National Congress suffered its worst-ever result in local elections, potentially shifting the balance of power in South Africa’s coalition government. The ANC, which led the country out of apartheid, won 31% of the vote nationwide, just over six percentage points ahead of the Democratic Alliance, a historically white-led movement. The performance extends the decline that cost the ANC its national parliamentary majority in 2024 and sets up a battle over the direction of economic policy as the once-dominant party prepares to choose a new leader next year. It also means the biggest cities, key drivers of growth in Africa’s largest economy, will mostly be governed by coalitions. The DA emerged as the largest party in three metropolitan municipalities in Gauteng, the economic heartland, including in the commercial hub of Johannesburg. That outcome is likely to boost its bargaining power nationally and in talks to form municipal governments where no party won a majority. But some warned the new political reality has drawbacks: “ Unstable coalitions with precarious lead
The party that led the struggle against apartheid is no longer the force it was more than three decades ago. The African National Congress suffered its worst-ever result in local elections, potentially shifting the balance of power in South Africa’s coalition government. The ANC, which led the country out of apartheid, won 31% of the vote nationwide, just over six percentage points ahead of the Democratic Alliance, a historically white-led movement. The performance extends the decline that cost the ANC its national parliamentary majority in 2024 and sets up a battle over the direction of economic policy as the once-dominant party prepares to choose a new leader next year.
It also means the biggest cities, key drivers of growth in Africa’s largest economy, will mostly be governed by coalitions. The DA emerged as the largest party in three metropolitan municipalities in Gauteng, the economic heartland, including in the commercial hub of Johannesburg. That outcome is likely to boost its bargaining power nationally and in talks to form municipal governments where no party won a majority. But some warned the new political reality has drawbacks: “ Unstable coalitions with precarious leadership teams cannot deliver,” said Busi Mavuso, CEO of lobby group Business Leadership South Africa.