ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has admitted that the party saw its election troubles coming, revealing that its own polling had predicted a disappointing performance in the 2026 Local Government Elections.
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With the ANC losing significant support across the country and suffering a major setback in KwaZulu-Natal, Mbalula said the party had been bracing itself for an even worse outcome.
The party’s national share of the vote dropped from 45.59% in the 2021 local government elections to 30.91% this year.
In KZN, former president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party emerged ahead with around 34%, while the ANC managed only 20.5%, a steep fall from the 41.4% it received in the province in 2021.
Speaking as the election results drew to a close, Mbalula admitted that the ANC had anticipated the backlash from voters, particularly from the middle class, which he said had turned against the party.
“We are staring at it. The official polls of the ANC told us that we would be at 34%. We knew what we were up against. We put up a fight to push back,” he said.
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Despite the poor showing, Mbalula said the party was somewhat encouraged because it had expected to perform even worse.
He argued that the results showed the ANC was gradually finding its feet again, although the figures painted a difficult picture for the governing party.
Voters have spoken!
Mbalula acknowledged that the ANC had lost the confidence of many South Africans, with voters delivering a strong message through the ballot box.
He said the party understood that the election results were not simply a rejection but a judgement on its performance.
“We recognise their concerns. We will not question their judgement or explain away their decisions. We will confront the reasons why people who once saw the ANC as their political home have become disillusioned with our movement,” he said.
He also admitted that local government had failed many residents, saying people had every reason to demand better services.
“We cannot ask people to trust us just merely because of our history. It gives us a responsibility to serve, not an entitlement to govern. The ANC must earn the confidence of the people through what it does today and what it delivers tomorrow.
“We will accept this lesson with humility,” he said.
ANC not giving up power!
Despite losing control of several municipalities, Mbalula reminded South Africans that the ANC remained a major force in national government.
He pointed out that the party still leads the Government of National Unity (GNU), holds the presidency and has an important role in the country’s national institutions.
“That government serves every municipality in this country, all 257. Not according to how a community voted, but according to the constitution, which binds the national government to support local government everywhere and to secure basic services for every household,” he said.
Mbalula said the ANC would use its position in national government to intervene where municipalities were failing and work towards improving people’s lives.
No begging for mayoral positions!
On the possibility of coalition governments, Mbalula said the ANC would not rush into negotiations simply to hold on to political positions.
He revealed that no formal coalition discussions had started yet, with the party’s leadership expected to meet to develop a strategy for negotiations.
He said service delivery would be central to any discussions and that the ANC was prepared to consider sitting in opposition rather than entering an unsuitable coalition.
“The ANC will not be in a hurry to get into coalitions. That is not the only option. There is also an option to sit in opposition.
“We will look at every municipality and see what options are before us, and that will be settled by the National Executive Committee,” he said.
Making its position clear, Mbalula insisted that the party would not beg other political formations for mayoral positions or political power.
“The ANC will not be in the business of begging for a mayorship or any other position.
“It is people first,” he said.
