South Africans vote in local elections seen as test for embattled ANC

What the report says

South Africans are voting in local government elections that are widely being treated as a test of support for the African National Congress (ANC), which has governed since the end of white minority rule in 1994 but has steadily weakened in recent years. Polling cited by Al Jazeera suggests the party could fall below 40 percent, reflecting voter frustration over poor municipal services and declining confidence in local governance.

Voting began on Wednesday morning and is scheduled to end later in the day, with final results expected on Sunday. The Electoral Commission of South Africa said 29.2 million people were registered to vote across 23,696 stations, and more than 1.4 million special votes had already been cast. Voters are choosing councils for eight metropolitan municipalities, 44 district councils and 205 local councils, which in turn select mayors.

The ANC dropped below 50 percent in municipal elections for the first time in 2021 and later lost its national parliamentary majority in 2024, leading to a coalition government. Johannesburg is a major prize in the race, where the Democratic Alliance has fielded former party leader Helen Zille. Former president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe party is also contesting its first local election and is mounting a challenge in Durban. Security concerns have also been reported, with police saying election-related cases have been recorded since Sunday.