ANC president rejects rumours of him stepping down as the party suffers another major blow, losing nearly 15 percentage points in national support since 2021.
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The party’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, has made it clear he’s not planning to step down after the ANC’s disappointing showing in the 2026 local government elections.
Ramaphosa dismissed speculation about his possible resignation as “preposterous” after rumours circulated that he and other senior party leaders could face pressure to vacate their positions following the governing party’s poor showing at the polls.
Speaking after the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) announced the final election results on Sunday, 8 November, Ramaphosa questioned where the claims about his departure had come from.
“I don’t know where these rumours come from. I mean, who came up with a rumour like that? It’s preposterous,” he said.
ANC takes a knock
The ANC has suffered another major decline in electoral support, with its national vote share dropping from 45,59% in the 2021 local government elections to 30,76% this year.
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The party secured 3 246 council seats, retaining its position as the biggest party nationally but facing a significantly weakened position in municipalities across the country.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) came second with 24,64% and 1 695 council seats, followed by uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party with 9,76% and 785 seats.
The EFF secured 6,22% of the vote, translating into 588 council seats, while ActionSA received 5,67% and 313 seats.
The results have intensified questions about accountability within the ANC, particularly after the party suffered another significant electoral setback.
Voters have spoken
Despite the disappointing result, Ramaphosa said the ANC had accepted the voters’ message and would respect their decision.
“This is their verdict, and we accept it. We accept it with humility,” he said.
The President also congratulated South Africans for exercising their democratic right to choose representatives.
“We celebrate the enduring strength of our democracy and the sovereign right of the people of South Africa to choose their representatives,” he said.
