South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s African National Congress (ANC) has won the largest share of votes in municipal elections, but a sharp fall in support has left it needing coalition partners to govern key cities.
Results announced by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on Sunday gave the ANC 30.76% of the vote and 3,246 council seats, down from 45.59% of the vote in 2021. The Democratic Alliance (DA) secured 24.64% and 1,695 seats, followed by former President Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe party with 9.76% and 785 seats.
Approximately 14.9 million of the 29.2 million registered voters cast ballots on November 4. The IEC reported turnout of 52%, up 6.1 percentage points from 2021, and declared the elections free and fair.
“This has been a very catastrophic outcome for the ANC,” Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said. The party accepted the results, calling them an opportunity for “honest reflection” and renewal.
The DA retained an outright majority in Cape Town and emerged as the largest party in Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Nelson Mandela Bay, without enough seats to govern those four cities alone. Zuma’s party led in the municipality covering the eastern port city of Durban but also needs coalition partners.
Parties face a 14-day deadline for councils to hold their first meetings and elect officeholders. Mbalula said the ANC would consider opposition rather than enter unsuitable coalitions. The party said it would approach talks “in good faith,” guided by the constitution and community interests.
The DA’s federal executive authorized coalition discussions on Saturday, saying prospective partners must support accountable government, reliable services and fighting corruption.
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba said on Sunday that his party would not support a DA administration in Johannesburg with Helen Zille as mayor. ActionSA took about 16% in the city, behind the DA’s roughly 35% and the ANC’s 20%. Meanwhile, the ANC and ActionSA have begun preliminary “talks about talks” to prevent a vacuum in local governance, Mbalula said on X.
Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema urged the ANC on Saturday to reconsider cooperation with the DA and instead work with his party, Zuma’s group and the South African Communist Party. Mbalula said the ANC had not adopted a position on that proposal.
Speaking at Sunday’s results ceremony, Ramaphosa warned that “the delivery of essential services cannot be held hostage by political disagreements.”
Water shortages, electricity failures and corruption dominated the campaign. The ANC lost its parliamentary majority in 2024 after three decades in power and now leads a ten-party Government of National Unity, including the DA. Its next leadership contest is in 2027, ahead of national elections in 2029. The ANC has pledged to “confront poor governance” and strengthen oversight.
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