Wire reporting: (AP, via Local 10)

South Africans voted Wednesday in municipal elections that will choose councils for the country's eight metropolitan governments, 44 district municipalities and 205 local councils, a contest outlets described as a test of the African National Congress after years of falling support^1,3,6.

The councils, not voters directly, choose mayors and run water, electricity and refuse collection^1,2. Johannesburg, the economic hub, is the most closely watched prize: it has had five mayors in four years and is now under a fragile ANC-led coalition, according to AP copy carried by Local 10 and ABC News^2,4.

The ANC lost its first municipal majority in 2021 and its 30-year national parliamentary majority in 2024, then entered a national unity government with the Democratic Alliance and other parties while remaining a rival to the DA in local races^2,3,6. At its 2004 peak the ANC took about 70 percent of the national vote; that share later fell to about 40 percent¹.

Polls cited by different outlets do not match. The BBC reported an Ipsos survey putting ANC support at 30 percent, down from 46 percent in the 2021 local vote, with the DA at 25 percent¹. DW and Al Jazeera said polls suggested the ANC could fall below 40 percent^3,6. The Guardian standfirst said the party was expected to get less than a third of the vote; the full article was not readable⁵.

President Cyril Ramaphosa denied a downward spiral at a Sunday rally, saying, "The ANC is going higher and higher"¹. In a weekly newsletter quoted by DW and Al Jazeera, he said municipal failures had reduced trust in democratic governance and called the vote a chance to reverse that^3,6.

The DA has put former national leader Helen Zille forward for Johannesburg mayor; AP and Al Jazeera described campaign stunts meant to highlight service failures, including wading or snorkeling in flooded road trenches^2,6. A News24 poll cited by Al Jazeera put Zille at 36 percent in the city, implying she would need partners⁶. The BBC said she argued on local radio that DA-run towns work best¹.

Former president Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto weSizwe party is contesting its first local elections and is expected to be strong in KwaZulu-Natal, including Durban^1,2,6. Zuma told supporters in the city on Sunday, "We are going to start by taking back our country here," Al Jazeera reported, citing AFP⁶.

Campaign issues across outlets included unreliable water and power, crime, unemployment and, in some races, undocumented migration^2,3,6. The BBC described uncollected rubbish and water cuts in Alexandra and Soweto¹. Analysts it quoted expected more coalitions, including possible ANC-DA pairings in several metros¹.

Al Jazeera, citing the Electoral Commission, said 29.2 million people were registered at 23,696 stations and more than 1.4 million special votes were cast earlier in the week⁶. Turnout was under half of registered voters in 2021^3,6. Police recorded 21 election-related cases since Sunday, Al Jazeera said⁶.

Polls close at 9 p.m. local time. DW and Al Jazeera said results were expected Sunday; the BBC said the commission has seven days to announce them and parties 14 days to form governments^1,3,6.