South Africa’s African National Congress recorded its weakest local-election result since the end of apartheid, taking 30.76% of the vote, the BBC reported¹.

The Democratic Alliance placed second at 24.64%; former president Jacob Zuma’s MK party took 9.76% and the Economic Freedom Fighters 6.22%¹.

The ANC won a majority in only one of nine provinces, Limpopo, and led in two of eight metropolitan cities, down from six in 2021^1,2.

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula called the outcome catastrophic and said the cost of living had turned the middle class against the party^1,2.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said the public’s verdict should be accepted with humility; in a weekly letter he said municipal failures had contributed to declining trust, DW reported^1,2.

Analysts cited water, electricity and sanitation failures as drivers of the losses^1,2.

Voter turnout was 52.29%, higher than in the 2021 pandemic-era local vote¹.

Parties have 14 days after results to form local coalitions, with Johannesburg and Pretoria among the cities in play^1,3.