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THE RULING AFRICAN National Congress (ANC) has vowed to learn from bruising local election results that showed South African voters turning away from the party that led the anti-apartheid struggle.
With the nationwide vote count almost complete, the ANC was ahead overall but recorded its worst electoral performance since white-minority rule fell 22 years ago.
The party once headed by Nelson Mandela was on 54% of the vote — sharply down from 62% in the last municipal elections in 2011.
On Friday, it conceded defeat to the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) in Port Elizabeth, an industrial city that was a key battleground of Wednesday’s election.
The two parties were still in a close fight for Pretoria, the capital, and Johannesburg, the country’s economic centre, with the ANC set to lose its outright majorities in both cities.
“We are now going to do an introspective look at ourselves,” said Cyril Ramaphosa, vice president of both the ANC and the country.
(Our critics) think that we are arrogant, they think we are self-centred… I would like to dispute that and say we are a listening organisation.
Defeat in Port Elizabeth was a humiliating blow for the ANC as the municipality is officially known as Nelson Mandela Bay in tribute to its past as a hotbed of anti-apartheid activism.
“The fall in support has been dramatic, in levels never seen before,” political analyst Somadoda Fikeni told AFP.
The poor performance, particularly in urban metros, points to declining support among the middle-class. These voters are concerned about the issues affecting the economy and unemployment.
The results were seen as a marker ahead of the next general election due in 2019.
President Jacob Zuma will not stand again after serving the maximum two terms.
According to official results on Friday, the DA was on 26% with the radical leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) on 8%.
Zuma under pressure?
“It’s good for our democracy,” Mmusi Maimane, the DA’s first black leader, said.
It says the democratic process is working…and now we have got to work hard.
The election was widely seen as a referendum on Zuma, who has been plagued by a series of scandals and court cases since taking office in 2009.
An unemployment rate of 27% and GDP growth at zero percent have added to his woes as frustration builds among poor black communities seeing scarce improvements since apartheid fell.
Zuma, 74, who was jailed on Robben Island with Mandela during apartheid, retains deep loyalty within the ANC and in many rural areas, but he could step down before his term ends in 2019.
“All of this points at Zuma, ultimately the buck stops with him,” Fikeni said.
The corroded moral authority of the ANC under Zuma is one of the factors, and his name keeps featuring in major political scandals.
Contesting its first local poll after bursting onto the scene in the 2014 general election, the far-left EFF could emerge in the influential role of kingmaker.
“We are happy that the ANC has been punished,” charismatic party leader Julius Malema told reporters.
The writing is on the wall, and (the election in) 2019 is going to be a serious challenge for the ruling party.
The EFF, which won 6% of the national vote in 2014, advocates land redistribution without compensation and the nationalisation of mines.
Complete results were expected late Friday or Saturday.
Turnout was about 58% as voters chose mayors and other local representatives responsible for hot-button issues including water, sanitation and power supplies.
Problems providing such basics trigger regular and sometimes violent “service delivery” protests in South Africa, where harsh socio-economic divisions remain a grim legacy of the apartheid era.
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Democracy is more important than ever as we see where the USA is headed. Wherever we were, they could be relied on to at least keep a free and open society as an ideal, in principle. That’s finished. The autocrats are on the march. The old world order is ending and the forces of anti-democracy, tyranny and hate are on the march. We are entering very very dark times.
@SerotoninWars: We’re never heading into good times, it’s literally never been said. Probs doesn’t generate enough ‘revenue’ across society.
@SerotoninWars: those which got into power both in the USA and in most areas in eu brought most of these issues now faced on us themselves. They’re stupidity and lack of forward long term planning and thinking has helped these so called far right actually gain momentum by allowing the likes of housing crisis to balloon altogether singlehandedly they have frustrated people to turn theyre thinking. In order to prevent far right gaining anymore ground,if thats what they’re actually trying to prevent, they need to concentrate solely on eu member states and how to serve those effectively not everyone outside of it. Halt immigration and only allow necessary people in for now such as health services etc. Get things in order get supply to one day meet demand then see about those outside eu.
@Thesaltyurchin: There are levels to it. The USA is highly imperfect and often hypocritical but it has, for a long time, been a bulwark for international democracy and rule of law. If there’s no pressure from the USA, this will do nothing but encourage the despots. If, as looks probable, Trump gets in, he will interpret the ruling today as a carte blanche to do whatever he likes. He’s too stupid and selfish to understand nuance. And with that Supreme Court behind him he’ll go much further with his stooges in ripping up the rule book. This is far more serious than the usual takes of political woe: it’s a disaster. Unless you wish to see the hardest right of governments, lots of unchecked power and dynasties emerging in former democracies.
@Paddy C: I agree that no matter what your politics, there’s going to have to be some new consensus with some painful decisions to avoid a slide into far right governments everywhere. There’s a huge difference between the protest vote scenario where people want a couple of specific things changed and a wholesale sweep to the far right who have a whole lot of other policies in mind too for when they get into power. So yes, I agree a new dynamic is required. Banging our heads off a brick wall will solve nothing.
@SerotoninWars: this is what people need to understand we have to find a happy medium somewhere otherwise it’ll go to far and the wrong people altogether will get in then we’re into a whole new set of problems we need to now take maybe what some would consider difficult decisions to avoid it.
@Paddy C: I agree. For people like me who lean left we have to remember that there’s a world of difference between centrist conservative governments you might not be fully happy with and actual far right parties. Parties that attract full blown fascists. There are many decent and kind conservatives. There’s no one like that in the far right. Worrying times as we need to generate pushback against the Putin’s of this world, not more allies for him.
Fair play to Cllr John Lyons Dublin City Council for calling out the extortionate prices for the ” affordable” homes in
the Coolock development. Free land given to the developer who screws the council with their money grabbing tactics.All done with the support of ffg and labour.
A certain individual a number of years ago remarked that irelands councillors and politicians ‘ make the mafia look like choirboys”.Democracy me a..e
@D. Peadar: when the general election comes anybody who isn’t usually pushed needs to get out and vote for the sake of it. Even if you don’t want to bother getting involved voting normally just make the effort this time if you want you’re children and generations to come having somewhat of a normal future prospect. In others words hope of a decent job which will cover having a roof over they’re heads and at some point if they wish to, a family and be able to survive and have that chance. Otherwise this country is doomed with a falling birth rate because of what’s just mentioned pension and health systems will without a doubt not be sustainable despite what horseshit comes out of the likes of roderic o gorman and the rest of those fairy’s in there.
Sums it up very well. This is being reflected in the decisions being made executive level and which elected councillors have no real say.
Excellent article
Our local councillors are really just administrators
Dublin ( city centre) is in serious decline because nobody is accountable or responsible
If we want to get people believing in democracy we need to make it much more powerful at a local level as that’s what affects people in their daily levels. We also need a much more interactive system than merely casting a vote every 4 or 5 years
Good article Pat! (Think Copenhagen built like 3 light rail systems during Coivd, certainly that needs a fact check tho lol!).
Well said Pat
The people have spoken and said they are very content with FFG, who regained control at local govt with the support of INDependents, Greens and Labour. #HappyPeople #HappyGovt #NoIssues
@9QRixo8H: Remember the 2019 local election went for FF/FG ? Then remember how the 2020 general election for FF/FG. It’ll tell you the local election means absolutely nothing. The next general election is all that matters.
@Ger Whelan:
A fair point Ger but in 2020 SF caught the mood of discontent and profited big time, and continued upward in the years since until recently, immigration and the recent referendums (especially the promise to run it again!) caught them badly.
It’s easier when you have momentum, extremely hard to turn it around when it’s going the other way
The whole western world is shifting right (except the UK!) Ireland is no different.
A backlash against the cost of green policies is another core factor in that rightward shift.
@Ger Whelan: There are only 3 parties running enough candidates to lead a govt, and the FFG duo maintained their support, so what do you think will happen?
@P. J.: It’s D.peader who needs this explanation not me
@9QRixo8H: They were well supported in the local elections in 2019 weren’t they? In fact overall the win more seats in 2019 than this year’s local elections. As for what happened? I don’t know. But I’m not here bragging how great things looked for any party am I?. Local elections mean absolutely nothing
@9QRixo8H: when the general election comes anybody who isn’t usually pushed needs to get out and vote for the sake of it. Even if you don’t want to bother getting involved voting normally just make the effort this time if you want you’re children and generations to come having somewhat of a normal future project. In others words hope of a decent job which will cover having a roof over they’re heads and at some point if they wish to, a family and be able to survive and have that chance. Otherwise ghis country is doomed with a falling birth rate because of what’s just mentioned pension and health systems will without a doubt not be sustainable despite what horseshit comes out of the likes of roderic o gorman and the rest of those fairy’s in there.
@Paddy C: vote for who? Majority want FFG. Birth rates are falling? If only we had immigration so men wouldn’t want to force women to give birth.
@9QRixo8H: they don’t need to force them just realise that when they’re born they might end up in a tent,b&b or hostel growing up for most of they’re lives. That’s no future at all and that is reality despite the horse crap that shower of utterly useless baffons in the dail are putting out.
@Paddy C: how can a young couple plan on having they’re own family and a home when neither can even afford to rent a room in a flat. They can’t so they’ve given up on that dream and are travelling abroad or trying to have that dream abroad,shame they can’t have it here when they,they’re families and friends all contributed into the tax system most of they’re lives.
@9QRixo8H: So you would prefer to have more Muslims here, who force women to do whatever they say? You simpleminded fkng dope.
SF were supposed to be the next big thing. Nobody knew for sure if they were far-left or far-right.
When the chips are down, people prefer the devil they know.
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