The South African government, led by the African National Congress (ANC), held an emergency meeting in Boksburg on Thursday to discuss the repercussions of the recent local elections in which the party achieved its worst electoral result. The ANC, considered the oldest liberation movement in Africa, garnered only about 31 percent of the votes in the recent elections, indicating a severe decline in support from voters in key cities, including Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Challenges Facing the ANC
The significant drop in support for the ANC has been particularly attributed to corruption scandals and the inability to provide public services in areas governed by the party. The ANC's National Executive Committee, the highest decision-making body of the party, convened to develop a framework for coalition negotiations and to review preliminary reports from discussions with other parties.
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The party stated in a release: "The election result carries a serious political responsibility for the ANC to listen to the people, confront its shortcomings, and provide leadership while municipalities are preparing to form governments."
Changes in Leadership Structure
In the recent elections, only in Cape Town, one of South Africa's eight major metropolitan areas, a party managed to secure an outright majority. The Democratic Alliance (DA), a close rival of the ANC, obtained 56.4 percent of the votes in this city. In other regions, scattered results have set the stage for complex coalition negotiations.
Due to losing its parliamentary majority in the 2024 general elections, the ANC has been compelled to share power at the national level and has formed a national unity government in collaboration with nine other parties. The party has also stated that its response to this situation will not be limited to "negotiating for positions" and will focus on improving the lives of South Africans and advancing party reform.
As the leadership transition period approaches, the party is expected to select a candidate for leadership in the 2029 general elections in the coming months. Some media reports have indicated that some within the party wish for Cyril Ramaphosa, the president, to step down from the ANC leadership before the end of his term. However, Ramaphosa has denied rumors about his resignation.
According to South African law, newly elected councils are required to convene within 14 days of the announcement of results to elect mayors and other officials.
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