South Africa Election: ANC Losing Majority As Jacob Zuma’s Party Shines

The African National Congress looked set to lose the parliamentary majority it has held for 30 years, partial election results, opens new tab on Thursday showed, as voters punished the former liberation movement for years of decline in South Africa.

While the party of the late Nelson Mandela looked likely to remain the largest political force, such an outcome would push it into a coalition with other parties for the first time in the country’s post-apartheid history.

With results in from 42.1% of polling stations, the ANC had garnered 42.7% of votes in Wednesday’s poll. It won 57.5% of votes in the previous election in 2019.

Were that trend to hold, the ANC would likely struggle to cobble together a majority through alliances with small parties, leaving it a potential choice between three bitter rivals.
“The ANC is in a trilemma,” said political analyst Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh.

The partial results released by the electoral commission put the pro-business Democratic Alliance (DA) in second place on 23.6%.

uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), a new party led by former president Jacob Zuma, was at 10% and eating into ANC support, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal – his home province and a traditional stronghold of the ruling party.

MK had also overtaken the radical left Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), currently the third biggest party in parliament, on 9.5%.

Reuters