South Africa’s ANC faces worst election losses since apartheid

PRETORIA | Nqobile Dludla and Tanisha Heiberg | Fri Aug 5, 2016 | Reuters

South Africa’s ANC was on track for its worst electoral performance since the end of apartheid on Friday as voters vented anger about high unemployment and corruption in municipal elections that herald a sea change in politics and society.

The African National Congress has ruled virtually unopposed since it ended white-minority rule in 1994 with Nelson Mandela at its helm, but has lost support – particularly in cities – among voters who feel their lives have not improved and accuse President Jacob Zuma of mismanaging the economy.

The ANC was still leading in the overall count in the nationwide municipal vote, with 95 percent of ballots counted. But it lost to the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) in the municipality of Nelson Mandela Bay, which includes the city of Port Elizabeth, and was trailing in Tshwane, home to the capital Pretoria.

Since the end of apartheid, the ANC had enjoyed an iron electoral grip on these areas, as well as on the economic hub of Johannesburg – where it held just a narrow lead on Friday.

Now, no party looks likely to win a majority in these three urban centers, ushering in a new era of coalition politics as South Africa shifts from what has effectively been a one-party system in the period immediately post-apartheid.

This shift reshapes the political landscape in South Africa ahead of the 2019 national election, and may also embolden Zuma’s rivals within the ANC to challenge him.

The DA has retained control of Cape Town, which it has held since 2006.

The ANC chief whip, Jackson Mthembu, said the losses across the country were “a worrying trend” for the ruling party and would prompt soul-searching. “We need to have a serious introspection, and that is what we will do.”

The election also represents a political renaissance for the DA, which last year elected its first black leader, Mmusi Maimane, as part of its efforts to shake off its image as a party that mainly serves white interests.

“In the region named after Nelson Mandela, who promoted reconciliation, I think it is fitting that we have to cooperate with other political parties,” said Athol Trollip, the DA’s mayoral candidate in the bay area.

Final results are due on Saturday.