South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC), in power since the end of apartheid, is bracing for another difficult result in municipal elections on November 4. The party is expected to remain the country’s largest nationally, but may record its weakest performance yet as it loses ground in major cities.
The ANC’s decline has been underway for around a decade. President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed frustration with the condition of local services, describing a campaign visit to Bloemfontein on October 19. He said the city’s main street was strewn with rubbish and recalled asking party colleagues how residents could be expected to live in such conditions. He said bulldozers arrived the following day to clean the street.
Residents in ANC-controlled municipalities are also facing water and power cuts, pothole-damaged roads and a lack of street lighting. Discontent over local government has spread through neighbourhood messaging groups, social media and public spaces.
In municipalities where the ANC has lost its outright majority in recent years, it has often remained in power or returned to office through unstable coalitions. The party is expected to be closely challenged by the Democratic Alliance in Wednesday’s local vote.
Sources: Le Monde International.