Local elections in South Africa | South Africa: Debacle for Mandela's heirs

In Durban, supporters of a local Ukhonto we Sizwe (MK) candidate are happy about their favorite's victory at the expense of the ANC. Photo: AFP/Ilaria Finizio The decline of the African National Congress (ANC) continues. Never since the end of apartheid in 1994 has he had less support and credit from the South African population than he does today. The once undisputedly dominant party won 15 percentage points less than in the 2021 local elections at the weekend. But it is still the strongest in the country - with a national average of 30.76 percent.

But in many municipalities, the party of the late national hero Nelson Mandela clearly missed a majority and lost city and local councils that it had dominated for decades. The most surprising thing was the extent of the loss of votes. The fact that the ANC cannot deal with the many problems in the country and is therefore being punished more and more in elections is a phenomenon that has been going on for years. Choosing the ANC as the least evil is being rejected as an option more often than ever.

At the national level, the ANC lost its absolute majority for the first time in 2024. The government of national unity under his leadership, with the conservative Democratic Alliance as a junior partner along with a handful of smaller parties, has so far failed to bring about any change for the better. According to the World Bank, South Africa is the country with the greatest social inequality in the world and has an official unemployment rate of over 30 percent. The economy has been stagnating for a decade, accompanied by high crime rates and dilapidated public facilities, starting with regular power cuts.

The ANC has not delivered what was promised and expected after the end of apartheid. This has led to deep social discontent, which movements such as the xenophobic “March and March” founded in 2025 have directed against immigrants. South Africa's ANC-led government reacts to this with understanding, but only rejects lynching.

It is not to be expected that the ANC will get the ball rolling and do what was once promised after the end of apartheid, namely to completely overhaul the existing property structure and ensure social justice. But also not from opposition of any stripe. For South Africa, this means further growing social conflicts – including growing xenophobia.

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