South Africa: ANC Devours Itself From Within As Voters Steadily Turn Their Backs

What the report says

Daily Maverick, via AllAfrica, says South Africa’s African National Congress is heading into November municipal elections under severe pressure from internal factionalism, patronage disputes and a long period of electoral decline. The article frames the party as weakened by years of organizational strain and growing voter dissatisfaction, with the local government vote expected to be a difficult test of its support.

The piece also looks back to an earlier warning sign in 2016, when the ANC launched its local election manifesto in Port Elizabeth, now Gqeberha, to a noticeably thin crowd at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. According to the report, the event highlighted the party’s fading ability to mobilize supporters even in a former stronghold.

The account describes how the rally unfolded with music, speeches and appearances by alliance partners, but many attendees left before then-president Jacob Zuma began speaking. The report uses that scene to illustrate a broader trend: a party that once relied on mass turnout and tight discipline now struggling to hold its base together.

The story matters because the ANC remains central to South Africa’s politics, and further losses in municipal elections could deepen questions about its future influence and governing capacity. The article presents the decline as both electoral and organizational, reflecting wider frustrations among voters and internal battles over power and access.