Johannesburg mayoral race tests ANC grip

South Africa has a long history of using local ballots to measure national sentiment, and Wednesday’s vote continues that tradition. The election will determine leadership for eight major city municipalities, 44 districts, and 205 local councils.

The African National Congress, which guided the country out of white minority rule, faces a critical evaluation. The party won less than 50% of the vote in the 2021 local elections, a first for the era since 1994. It then lost its 30-year parliamentary majority in national elections in 2024 and entered a coalition with its rivals.

Johannesburg serves as the primary battleground for this contest. The city, which houses approximately 5 million residents, has changed mayors five times in the four years since the last local vote. It is currently managed by a fragile ANC-led coalition, but the Democratic Alliance is targeting it for control.

The DA nominated its former national leader, Helen Zille, as its mayoral candidate. At age 75, Zille has used public demonstrations to draw attention to infrastructure gaps. She recently snorkelled in a flooded road trench and rowed an inflatable boat through a leak-induced pond to illustrate the state of local services.

Voters select council members who then choose the mayors, meaning smaller parties often hold the balance of power. The MK Party, led by former President Jacob Zuma, will contest this vote for the first time. Zuma resigned in 2018 due to corruption allegations and was expelled from the ANC in 2024 after launching his new party. The MK Party emerged as the third-largest force in Parliament during the 2024 national elections.

Service delivery remains the central issue for voters across the country. Citizens cite water shortages, electricity instability, and high unemployment rates as their primary concerns. A growing movement against illegal immigration has also influenced the campaign, with some parties making opposition to undocumented migration a core platform.

The DA currently holds strong support in Cape Town, South Africa’s second-largest city. Zille’s campaign aims to determine if that base can extend to Johannesburg. The outcome will reveal whether the ANC can maintain its local foothold despite its weakened position in the national unity government led by President Cyril Ramaphosa.