“We remain humbled by the support that we received in these elections and we do not take the support for granted”, the ANC provincial leadership said in a statement after it notably lost Tshwane metro to the Democratic Alliance.
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The political shift in this municipal election could have major ramifications for the 2019 presidential vote – and the DA is already beginning to look ahead.
“We will not shy away from some weaknesses that have been identified, but will engage communities throughout the province to find speedy and meaningful solutions”.
The ANC has said would still try to form coalitions to govern the municipalities where it lost its majority.
So far the ANC has received 53 per cent of votes across the country; the Democratic Alliance 26 per cent; and the more radical opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters, received eight per cent. With 90% of the votes counted in Johannesburg, the ANC…
The opposition Democratic Alliance, which has roots in the anti-apartheid movement and was white-led until previous year, has predicted victory in Tshwane.
Is Zuma a liability for ANC?
Mmusi Maimane, the Soweto-born former preacher who leads the DA, said this year’s local election would be “seen as a tipping point; the moment the ANC lost its foothold as a dominant party”.
Many South Africans are also concerned over allegations that Zuma is heavily influenced by the Guptas, a wealthy business family of immigrants from India.
The ANC has stood by President Jacob Zuma despite a series of scandals, but even some within the party admit he could be a liability.
Tshwane was the third metro with a DA majority after the Eastern Cape’s Nelson Mandela Bay and the Western Cape’s City of Cape Town. As the AP reported, Maimane said “the 2019 campaign starts now”.
The 104-year-old ANC will address voter concerns and bounce back, said Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, a leading contender to succeed Zuma as the party’s president when his current term ends late next year.
Didiza was among the many politicians attending the IEC’s results announcement in Pretoria.
The South African economy has stagnated since the global financial crisis in 2008, and the World Bank says the country has one of the highest rates of inequality in the world.
The ANC has said “we will reflect and introspect where our support has dropped”.
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Across the country, the ANC has maintained a majority of support with strong showings in rural areas, but it has slipped below the key bellwether of 60% on the national stage. The Constitutional Court recently said Zuma violated the constitution and instructed him to reimburse the state $507,000.
