South African Vote Tests ANC Grip on Major Cities

Voters across South Africa are set to choose municipal councillors on November 4. The councils oversee services including water, sanitation and rubbish collection, and councillors select mayors. The election is the ANC’s first nationwide electoral test since it lost its parliamentary majority in 2024 and entered a national unity government with the Democratic Alliance and smaller parties.

Polling cited in the reports puts the ANC’s national support at about 30%. Its support is also weaker in major cities than in some rural provinces. In Johannesburg and Tshwane, roughly 30% of surveyed respondents said they planned to vote ANC; in Durban, the figure was 10%, with the uMkhonto weSizwe Party leading. Polls suggest many metropolitan councils may need coalition governments.

Johannesburg is a major battleground. The city has had nine mayors in 10 years and is governed by a fragile ANC-led coalition. Residents face service problems including water outages, damaged roads, unreliable electricity and uncollected rubbish. The Democratic Alliance has nominated Helen Zille, while the Economic Freedom Fighters’ candidate is Tlaleng Mofokeng. ActionSA’s Herman Mashaba is seeking another term as mayor.

Water problems and municipal management have featured prominently in campaigning. In Pretoria, more than 500 people received treatment for stomach illnesses after drinking contaminated water, while in the Eastern Cape more than 110 university students required medical care after a gastrointestinal illness outbreak. Immigration has also become a campaign issue, with some opposition parties making opposition to illegal immigration central to their appeal.

The results could affect coalition negotiations in municipalities and alter the balance between the ANC and DA in their national governing partnership. The quality and stability of municipal coalitions will shape how cities are run after the vote.

South African Voters Demand Services as ANC Faces Urban Losses

South Africans vote on November 4 for the councils responsible for water, sanitation and rubbish collection. The election comes as the ANC faces declining support in major cities, after losing its parliamentary majority in 2024 and forming a national government with the Democratic Alliance and smaller parties.

The central issue for many residents is whether local government can deliver basic services. Johannesburg has endured years of political instability, with nine mayors in a decade, while residents report water outages, damaged roads, unreliable electricity and rubbish collection problems. Water concerns have also featured in Pretoria and the Eastern Cape, where illness outbreaks have led hundreds of people to seek medical care.

Polling suggests the ANC’s support has fallen to about 30% nationally, with much weaker numbers in Durban than in some rural provinces. Many metropolitan councils may require coalitions, leaving voters’ choices and post-election negotiations crucial to municipal leadership. The ANC must answer for its record in cities where its coalitions have governed, while opposition parties have also held roles in successive coalitions in Pretoria.

The vote will also test how national politics shape local choices. Unemployment, crime and immigration have become campaign themes, but water, sanitation and municipal finances remain immediate concerns. The outcome could change the ANC’s leverage in its national partnership with the DA, while the subsequent coalition arrangements will determine whether city governments can address the failures residents have raised.

ANC’s Urban Decline Puts Municipal Competence and Coalition Stability to Test

The ANC heads into South Africa’s November 4 municipal elections facing a sharp test of its capacity to govern. Polling places national support around 30%, with the party far weaker in major cities than in some rural provinces. A poor showing could strengthen the DA’s hand in the national unity government formed after the ANC lost its parliamentary majority in 2024.

The record in major municipalities is a central campaign issue. Johannesburg has had nine mayors in 10 years and remains under a fragile ANC-led coalition. Water disruptions, failing roads, unreliable electricity and rubbish problems show the consequences residents associate with unstable local government. In Pretoria, parties across the political spectrum have faced criticism over contaminated water and illness; all major parties have participated in the city’s coalition governments since 2016.

The election will decide councils responsible for basic services, and polls suggest coalition negotiations could be needed in many metros. Business leaders have warned that companies are paying for municipal shortcomings with private water storage, security and road repairs. Investors will be watching whether the coalitions formed after the vote can govern effectively.

The ANC’s declining support could also shift national policy bargaining, particularly if its vote approaches or falls below the DA’s. Yet coalition arithmetic alone will not repair water systems or municipal finances. Voters will judge the parties on whether the governments they form can deliver services and restore confidence in local administration.