OMM Newsroom
South Africans began voting in local government elections on Wednesday, in a test of support for the African National Congress (ANC), which led the struggle against apartheid but has suffered significant electoral setbacks in recent years.
Polling stations across the country opened at 7 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) and are scheduled to close at 9 p.m. (1900 GMT), according to Anadolu Agency.
Nearly 29 million people are registered to vote at about 23,700 polling stations nationwide, the country’s electoral commission said.
“I am voting for change. I want to see adequate service delivery in my community,” Chris Mazibuko, 38, a resident of Soweto, told Anadolu Agency.
“We have been suffering with no clean drinking water and leaking sewage pipes in our streets. I hope my vote will bring change,” he added.
Aisha Mohamed, a resident of Mayfair West, said public safety was her main concern.
“We want safety for our families and communities. There is too much crime and drug dealing on our streets. I hope my vote counts,” she told Anadolu Agency.
Dozens of political parties are contesting the elections, including the ANC, the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP).
The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, founded by former President Jacob Zuma, is competing in local elections for the first time.
The ANC, which Nelson Mandela led to victory in South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994, governed the country for nearly three decades without sharing power before losing its parliamentary majority.
In the 2021 municipal elections, the party’s share of the vote nationwide fell below 50%.
It suffered another setback in the 2024 general elections, losing its national parliamentary majority for the first time and subsequently forming a government of national unity with the DA and other parties.
