South African Politics: ANC vote share falls to 31% in local elections

The African National Congress entered power in 1994 as a unifying liberation movement, but three decades later it faces a steep decline in public favor. Results from local elections held last week, released Sunday, show the party’s support has eroded sharply.

The ANC’s share of the vote fell by 15 percentage points to 31 percent. This figure represents the party's lowest result at the ballot box since it began governing South Africa. The party's secretary-general labeled the result a "catastrophic outcome" and announced a period of internal review to understand how to regain voter trust.

Voters cited the failure of basic government services as a primary driver of the drop in support. Communities across the country continue to experience frequent power outages, broken water and sewage systems, and accumulating waste on streets. A shortage of adequate housing also leaves millions of residents living in informal shacks.

Corruption allegations have further damaged the party's reputation. Nearly 40 percent of South Africa’s 62 million residents live below the lower poverty line, according to the World Bank. Former President Jacob Zuma is accused of allowing widespread graft during his tenure before stepping down in 2018. Current President Cyril Ramaphosa, who pledged to clean up the party, faces his own scrutiny over a cash scandal involving more than half a million dollars found hidden in a couch at his ranch.

A judicial commission investigating the Zuma era uncovered significant graft, while a new commission examines recent allegations of collusion between senior police officers, political officials, and businessmen. These investigations include a claim that more than $120 million was misappropriated from a hospital project intended to serve a poor community.

Internal division has also weakened the ANC's cohesion. Since Nelson Mandela stepped down in 1999, the party has experienced leadership struggles. Former President Jacob Zuma recently split from the ANC to form the MK Party, which has drawn votes away from the ruling coalition. The ANC now contends with factions similar to any other political organization, moving away from its early identity as a broad church of freedom advocates.

The political landscape has become more fragmented as new parties gain small shares of the vote. The Democratic Alliance, the ANC's longtime opposition, won 25 percent of the municipal votes. This result places the DA closer than ever to overtaking the ANC as the nation's largest party, a position the DA claims is now within reach.

The ANC lost its parliamentary majority in a national election two years ago with 40 percent of the vote. At that time, the party described the loss as a disaster and a chance for self-reflection. However, the latest local election results indicate that supporters have continued to desert the party despite those internal efforts at change.