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South Africa votes in local elections that test the ANC's hold on power

5 November 2026 · Algeria Now

South Africa votes in local elections that test the ANC's hold on power — Photo : img2.chinadaily.com.cn (adresse collée)

South Africans voted on Wednesday in municipal elections widely seen as a verdict on the African National Congress (ANC), the party that has governed since the end of apartheid in 1994.

The Electoral Commission said a record 29.2 million people were registered across 23,696 voting stations, and more than 1.4 million special votes were cast on Monday and Tuesday. Voters chose councils in eight metropolitan, 44 district and 205 local municipalities, which will then elect mayors. Final results are expected on Sunday.

The ANC fell below 50 percent in municipal elections for the first time in 2021 and lost its parliamentary majority in 2024, forcing it into a coalition with the Democratic Alliance (DA) and other parties. Polls suggest its vote could now drop below 40 percent. President Cyril Ramaphosa has acknowledged that municipal failures have damaged public trust. Turnout was 46 percent in 2021.

Johannesburg, which has had five mayors in four years, is the main prize. The DA has fielded its former leader, Helen Zille, who stood at 36 percent in one poll and would probably need partners. Former president Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto weSizwe party is contesting its first local election and is mounting a strong challenge in Durban. Police recorded 21 election-related cases since Sunday, and KwaZulu-Natal has 165 voting stations classed as high risk.

For Algeria, the result matters beyond South Africa's borders. Algiers supported the anti-apartheid struggle, and the two countries remain close partners on African decolonization, including the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination. A weaker ANC and a fragmented political landscape could shape how Pretoria projects itself on the continent. The party's own leadership contest is due at its conference in December 2027.

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