Zille Targets Johannesburg As ANC Faces Local Election Test

South Africans began casting ballots on November 4 in local elections that will determine the leadership of eight major municipalities, 44 district councils, and 205 local councils. The vote serves as a direct assessment of the African National Congress, the party that governed the country following the end of white minority rule in 1994. Support for the ANC has dropped steadily over the past decade, making these local races a critical gauge of its current political standing.

Johannesburg, the nation's largest city and economic hub, is the primary battleground. The city, which houses approximately 5 million residents, has faced persistent issues with water and electricity supplies. These service failures have fueled public frustration with local governance. Johannesburg has replaced its mayor five times in the four years since the previous local elections. The city is currently managed by a fragile coalition led by the ANC, but the Democratic Alliance is positioning itself as a strong challenger.

The Democratic Alliance has nominated Helen Zille, its 75-year-old former national leader, as its mayoral candidate. Zille has used a series of public demonstrations to draw attention to infrastructure problems in the city. These actions included snorkeling in a water-filled road trench and rowing a boat through a pond formed by a water leak. While voters select council members rather than mayors directly, the council members will choose the city's leader. Smaller parties often hold significant influence in forming these local coalitions.

The ANC's decline is evident in recent national results. In 2021, the party won less than 50% of the vote in local elections for the first time since 1994. In 2024, it lost its 30-year majority in the national parliament. President Cyril Ramaphosa was reelected and formed a national coalition government with the Democratic Alliance and other groups. However, the two parties remain fierce competitors in these municipal races. Zille's campaign aims to test whether the Democratic Alliance can expand its influence beyond its traditional stronghold in Cape Town, the country's second-largest city.

The MK Party, led by former President Jacob Zuma, is entering the local political arena for the first time. Zuma resigned as president in 2018 amid corruption allegations and was expelled from the ANC in 2024 after founding his new party. The MK Party finished as the third-largest force in the parliament during the 2024 national elections. It maintains strong support in KwaZulu-Natal, Zuma's home province in the eastern part of the country.

Public service failures, particularly water supply issues, are central to the campaign across the country. High crime rates and unemployment are also key concerns for voters. A national debate over immigration has intensified in recent months, with groups protesting illegal immigration drawing widespread attention. Some parties have made opposition to undocumented migration a core part of their local election platforms. South Africa has a population of 62 million people.