South Africa's ANC stays largest party despite voter decline
The Democratic Alliance placed second with 24.64 percent, while the MK Party won 9.76 percent in its first local government contest.
South Africa's African National Congress remained the country's biggest party in local elections on Sunday, even as its vote share fell sharply, China's state news agency Xinhua reported.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa released the results on Sunday, showing the ANC with 30.76 percent of votes counted nationwide.
That is more than 14 percentage points below its showing in the 2021 local polls.
The Democratic Alliance, the ANC's main rival, took second place with 24.64 percent.
The uMkhonto weSizwe Party, led by former President Jacob Zuma, won 9.76 percent in its first local government contest.
Voter turnout reached 52 percent, up from 45.9 percent in 2021, electoral commission data showed.
In the eight metropolitan municipalities, the DA led in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Nelson Mandela Bay.
The ANC was ahead in Buffalo City and Mangaung, while the MK Party led in eThekwini, which includes the coastal city of Durban.
The DA won more than half the votes in Cape Town, a result that puts it in a strong position to keep full control of the city.
In most of the other metros, no party appeared likely to win an outright majority, which means coalition talks will be needed.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said the vote showed the strength of South Africa's democracy at the announcement ceremony in Midrand on Sunday.
He urged parties in municipalities without an outright majority to put community interests first and negotiate in good faith.
"Councils must be constituted without delay," he said, adding that political disagreements must not disrupt service delivery.
The ANC has governed South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994, but its support has dropped in recent polls.
It won about 45.59 percent of the vote in the 2021 local elections and 40.18 percent in the 2024 national elections, when it lost its parliamentary majority for the first time.
The outcome is likely to shape the political landscape ahead of the 2029 national elections, Xinhua reported.
The DA is expected to build on its urban gains, while the MK Party may keep drawing voters who once backed the ANC.
