South African voters punish ANC with worst-ever result
The African National Congress suffered its worst-ever result in local elections, potentially shifting the balance of power in South Africa’s coalition government.
Key points
- 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.
- 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.
- With no party winning outright in many municipalities, the results set the stage for fraught multiparty coalition negotiations to govern several major cities.
The African National Congress, which has dominated South African politics since the end of apartheid, took 30.76 percent of votes in municipal elections, its worst-ever electoral performance, the electoral commission said Sunday.
Additional details
- 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.
- It also means the biggest cities, key drivers of growth in Africa’s largest economy, will mostly be governed by coalitions.
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