South Africans Vote in Local Elections That Could Further Weaken the ANC
Published
South Africans are going to the polls in local elections that will decide who runs the country's eight main city municipalities. The vote will also choose leaders for 44 district councils and 205 local councils, so it affects millions of people in towns and cities across the country.
The elections are closely watched because they could continue the decline of the African National Congress (ANC), the party that led South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994. In recent years, the ANC has lost support, and in the 2024 national election it failed to win an outright majority in Parliament for the first time. Local elections are often seen as a test of how voters feel about the government and the services it provides, such as water, electricity, roads and waste collection.
For ordinary residents, the results will decide who manages local budgets and daily public services. Voters in major cities such as Johannesburg, Tshwane, Cape Town and Durban will be choosing mayors and councillors who will influence housing, transport and safety in their communities. Analysts say that coalition governments, where two or more parties work together to form a majority, may become more common after the vote.
The results are expected to be announced by the Electoral Commission of South Africa in the coming days. Until then, political parties will continue to campaign, and voters will wait to see whether the changes in national politics also appear at the local level.
Sources: ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
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