ANC gets 31.8% in South African election, partial results show

With 80% of votes counted in Wednesday’s municipal elections, the ANC had 31.8%, its worst result on record. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s party faced voter anger over years of municipal mismanagement, failing water supplies, power cuts and deteriorating public services. The Democratic Alliance (DA) was in second place with 24.2%, up from nearly 22% in 2021; final results are expected on Sunday. Analyst Daniel Silke said the setback would weaken the ANC’s authority and embolden opposition parties ahead of the 2029 election.