South Africans voted on Wednesday in local elections for nearly 300 municipalities, a test for the African National Congress amid anger over water outages, power cuts and failing services.
Voters are choosing councils in eight metros, 44 districts and 205 local municipalities. More than 29 million people are registered. Polls close at 9 p.m. local time (1900 GMT) and results are expected by Sunday.
The ANC won less than 50% of the vote for the first time in the 2021 local elections, and polls suggest it could drop below 40% this time, the BBC reported. The party won 70% in the 2004 general election and about 40% in 2024, when it lost its parliamentary majority.
Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille is vying to become mayor of Johannesburg, while former President Jacob Zuma’s MK party is challenging in Durban.
“Municipal failures have contributed to declining public trust and confidence in democratic governance,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said. “This election is an opportunity to turn this around.”
Sources: BBC News, DW, The Guardian
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