South Africans vote in local government elections testing ANC
Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 2 Nov, 02:02 · Archive
South Africans are voting in local government elections that will determine control of major cities and test the ruling ANC's electoral strength.
South Africans are voting in local government elections to elect councillors who will then choose mayors to oversee municipal services including water, sanitation and rubbish collection. The elections will test whether the African National Congress continues its electoral decline following its loss of parliamentary majority in 2024.
Johannesburg, home to nearly five million people and most of South Africa's corporate headquarters, is a major prize for competing parties. The city is governed by a fragile ANC-led coalition and has had nine mayors in ten years. Burst water pipes, cracked roads, hijacked buildings, broken traffic lights, unreliable electricity and piles of rubbish have become common sights in parts of the city, blamed on political instability, financial mismanagement and broader decline.
The Democratic Alliance, South Africa's second-largest party, has nominated 75-year-old political veteran Helen Zille as its mayoral candidate for Johannesburg. Zille told The Associated Press: 'The big thing is, the ANC is certainly collapsing, it is in free fall, and suddenly we don't have a competitor anymore.' The ANC lost control of several major cities in the last municipal elections in 2021 and now governs others through coalitions.
How it is being reported
- Tough test for ruling ANC as South Africans voteSouth Africans will head to the polls for local government elections that will determine control of major cities and test the electoral strength of the ANC.The West Australian · 2 Nov, 01:43
- Tough test for ruling ANC as South Africans voteSouth Africans will head to the polls for local government elections that will determine control of major cities and test the electoral strength of the ANC.Perth Now · 2 Nov, 01:43
In this story: South Africa · African National Congress · Democratic Alliance · Johannesburg · Helen Zille
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