ANC under pressure to reverse South Africa decline

What the report says

South Africa is holding closely watched local elections that could deepen the decline of the African National Congress, the former governing party that has already lost ground in recent years. BBC Africa reports from Johannesburg that the vote is being shaped by widespread frustration over poor municipal services, especially problems with water, electricity, refuse collection and pothole-ridden roads.

In townships such as Alexandra, near Johannesburg, residents told the BBC they feel little improvement from local government and in some cases do not plan to vote. Others said they would cast ballots in hopes of forcing change. The report says these grievances reflect broader concerns about corruption, unemployment and crime that have weakened ANC support over time. President Cyril Ramaphosa has rejected suggestions that the party is in decline, but analysts and polls cited by the BBC suggest it could suffer another setback.

The elections are especially significant in Gauteng province, home to Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni, where coalition governments already hold power. BBC Africa notes that service-delivery failures in major municipalities have become a test of local governance. An auditor-general report cited in the article found only 39 clean audits among 257 municipalities in the latest review period, highlighting the scale of administrative strain.

Political observers quoted by the BBC say the results may determine whether the ANC can recover support or whether coalition politics will remain the norm in South Africa’s biggest cities.