ANC sinks to 31% in South Africa's municipal vote as coalition scramble looms

South Africa's ruling African National Congress took a beating at the ballot box, according to near-complete results reported by Reuters on Sunday. With 99% of municipal votes counted, the ANC sat at 31%, trailing well behind the Democratic Alliance's 25%. Final numbers are due at 6 p.m. local time, or 1600 GMT.

Jacob Zuma's party, uMkhonto weSizwe, grabbed roughly 10% to land in third, with the remaining votes scattered across hundreds of smaller parties. The damage is the latest dip in a 15-year slide for the ANC in local elections, a decline driven largely by failures in basics like water and electricity.

Because nobody crossed the 50% mark in many cities — Johannesburg included — the ANC and DA must either join forces or bargain with smaller parties to build majority municipal governments. Parties have 14 days to negotiate before city councils are formed.

ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula didn't sugarcoat it, calling the outcome "catastrophic" for his party. He also said the ANC won't go begging for posts once talks start, telling reporters the honest response to voters was "not to argue with them but to go home and put our house in order."

Johannesburg tells the story of the shift: the pro-business DA led the count there with about 35%, against 20% for the ANC. That could open the door for DA veteran Helen Zille, who campaigned on fixing potholes and leaking water pipes, to take the mayor's office depending on how the deals shake out.

The DA said it would open coalition talks with parties that share its commitment to clean and accountable government, rooting out corruption, service delivery for all, the rule of law and non-racialism. Now the horse-trading begins — and the clock is already ticking.