Wire reporting: (AFP, via IOL)

JOHANNESBURG — Leaders of South Africa’s African National Congress met this week after municipal elections that left the party first nationally but well short of majorities in most large cities, and a party spokesperson said President Cyril Ramaphosa would not resign¹.

Africanews reported that national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, speaking as the National Executive Committee convened on Thursday, urged the public to treat claims that Ramaphosa had offered to resign as fabrication¹. She said the NEC would receive reports on talks with other parties and a mandate for a negotiations team¹.

Final and near-final counts put the ANC near 31 percent of the national local vote, down about 15 points from 2021, according to Africanews, the BBC, Al Jazeera and DW^1,2,4,5. Daily Maverick, using a different presentation of the local share, put the ANC at 32.5 percent versus 47.5 percent in 2021³. DW said the Electoral Commission’s published tally gave the ANC less than 31 percent and the Democratic Alliance just under 25 percent⁵.

The BBC said the DA was second at 25 percent, uMkhonto weSizwe third at 10 percent and the Economic Freedom Fighters fourth at 6 percent². Daily Maverick listed the DA at 22.9 percent, MK at 9.9 percent, the EFF at 6.4 percent, ActionSA at 5.0 percent and the South African Communist Party, standing separately, at 2.6 percent³.

The BBC said the ANC won a majority in only Limpopo among nine provinces and led in two of eight metros, compared with six metros in 2021². Al Jazeera said the DA became the largest party in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Ekurhuleni and kept Cape Town⁴. DW said the ANC lost its majority in six of eight metropolitan regions⁵.

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula called the outcome catastrophic, the BBC, Al Jazeera and DW reported^2,4,5. Ramaphosa said the party accepted the voters’ verdict, the BBC reported². Turnout was 52 percent, up from 46 percent in 2021, according to the BBC².

The 2024 national election had already left the ANC without a parliamentary majority and in a Government of National Unity^2,4,5. Parties have 14 days after results to form municipal coalitions, the BBC and Al Jazeera said^2,4. DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis said his party had contacted others to form local governments, DW reported⁵.

Al Jazeera said Ramaphosa is expected to step aside as ANC leader before the 2027 party contest while remaining in the national presidency until 2029⁴. That is distinct from this week’s denial that he would resign now¹.